The Night is Darkest
by Frodo Silverlune
Summary: Link has changed after saving the world from Twilight, his friends find. And after an ambush leaves him at the mercy of two ruthless conspirators, Colin discovers even heroes need to be saved sometimes. Post TP. Previously titled "The Quest of Colin."
1. Chapter 1

**The Quest of Colin**

Initial Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda, or Link, or any characters, scenarios, etc associated with the video game. Nada. Just borrowing them.

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Ilia shifted restlessly on her bed. Drifting in through her window came the cheerful chatter of crickets and far off the high trill of a morning warbler. She sighed and stared at the dark ceiling. Was he home yet?

Down below a cucco cawed breaking the stillness of dawn. She made her decision. Rising swiftly she folded her blankets into place and dressed, taking extra care to make sure her blonde hair was smoothed in place. It was probably in vain. He hadn't been home yesterday morning, nor the morning before that. But he had to come back sometime.

Quietly she padded downstairs and donned her cloak against the early morning chill. Making sure to leave breakfast where her father would find it, she slipped outside.

"Good mornin' Ilia."

"Fado! How did you…"

The tanned rancher smiled.

"Everyone in the village knows how much you miss him. And well, I thought I'd go down and see if he's home as well," he said handing her a lump of goat cheese and an apple.

"All right."

As the pair made their way through the village Ilia's thoughts wandered.

Would he be the same? The last time she'd seen him he'd said goodbye. It had almost been as if he knew he was about to go to his doom. His blue eyes...they'd held a thousand emotions.

They had reached his home, a hollowed-out treehouse on the outskirts of the village.

"HEY!" Fado shouted up at the third-story window.

"Don't you think you're being mean?" Ilia asked him. "He gets home after all he's done and you expect him to work?"

Fado grinned sheepishly.

"It's a joke. Besides, you can see he's not home."

Ilia sighed and glanced up the forest path with anxiety.

"I hope nothing's happened to him…"

* * *

The sun was high in the sky when he rode out of the forest. All was quiet in the small clearing around his home.

'_That's unusual,'_ he thought, but decided he didn't really want much company anyways.

Gently he pulled Epona to a halt. Sitting back in the saddle for a moment he let out a long sigh. A whispering wind was stirring the pine trees beneath a brilliant blue sky. Squirrel scampered out onto his roof and nodded in greeting. He smiled, remembering how nice it had been to be recognized that one night long ago.

Slowly he swung his leg over the saddle and hopped lightly to the ground. He glanced at the ladder in distaste. Why did he have a ladder up to his front door anyway? He'd have to fix that. But not today. Today he was going to take a bath, snuggle under the covers to sleep and sleep...

"LINK!"

Link stood on his toes and peered over Epona's high back only to watch Talo disappear down the path leading to the village. He groaned inwardly but quickly set to work. Maybe he could get Epona unsaddled before being mobbed by the entirety of Ordon.

Leading her around to the shed behind his house, he let her stand free as he slipped the bridle around her ears and let her drop the slobbery bit into his open palm. He dropped it on the ground and allowed his fingers to automatically unbuckle her sweaty girth. As he dragged the saddle off her back his sensitive ears caught the sound of running footsteps- many running footsteps.

'_Here they come. Brace yourself.'_

"There he is!"

"Our brave hero!"

Everyone from Ordon had come to greet him. Everyone wanted to hug him.

"I came by your house this morning," said Fado.

"Me and Colin've been learning how to fight just like you…"

Sera engulfed him in a massive embrace.

"My shop's been crawling with customers ever since word got around the Hero lived here."

Mayor Bo clapped him on the shoulder.

"You're gonna have a mighty tale to tell, son," he said and looked over his shoulder. "Now where did Ilia run off to?"

"…and we've even been practicing riding and…"

"Well goodness gracious, let the boy have some air!"

Link threw a gracious smile towards Jaggle's wife.

"…Mr. Rusl's been teaching us the sword and I almost have enough saved for a slingshot OW!"

Talo rubbed his ear where his mother had grabbed it.

"It sounds like you're ready to go on a quest," Link said.

"Oh could we!" Talo's sharp green eyes grew round with excitement.

"Hush Talo," Jaggle said then turned to Link. "We're glad you're back."

"Thank you."

"No. Thank you, Link." Uli blushed as all eyes turned toward her and nodded in agreement. For the first time Link noticed her flattened belly, and a smile cracked the weariness in his face.

"You had the baby," he said softly. Warmth spread across her face.

"Our little Mallon was born a week ago, and we hope you don't mind but we named her after your great-grandmother."

Now it was Link's turn for his cheeks to turn red.

"I'm honored." He bowed. They were all staring at him. He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck, never having liked being the center of attention. Bo seemed to sense his discomfort.

"Why don't we let the Hero settle down a bit, eh?"

Slowly the crowd shifted away back to the village, all except Talo. He pranced around eagerly as Link finished un-tacking Epona.

"So can I help, Link?"

"With what?"

"Settling you down."

"Uh…"

"Here, let me get that." Talo opened the shed door as Link heaved the saddle onto the saddle horse and hung up the bridle. As he reached for the bucket of grooming supplies Talo grabbed it first.

"Can I brush her?"

"Do you know how?"

"Yeah, Fado taught me. I've been helping out at the ranch since we got back."

"Why don't you let someone with more experience brush her?"

Link turned in surprise and found himself staring into Ilia's emerald eyes. He smiled, yet something was wrong. His stomach didn't leap like it used to when she looked at him like that.

'_I'm probably tired.'_

"Welcome home, Link."

"Thanks."

"Talo, let me help you with that," she said over his shoulder and touched his arm gently. "I'll take care of her for you." Link grinned.

"Just don't wander off."

Ilia's face lit up with relief and she almost said something, but only nodded.

'_Well, I guess being a hero has its perks,_' Link thought, picking up his sleeping roll and tossing it up the ladder. Yes, he was going to cut a door in the basement very soon. He was tired of climbing ladders, rocks, walls, vines, monkeys…

As he opened his front door a gush of cold air swept past his face. Golly, how long had he been gone? Two months maybe? But he had come back once or twice during that time. First for the sword and shield, then for the Goron-besting secret. Apparently no one had entered his home since then. White ashes still sat in the oven, dirty dishes still filled the sink.

'_I'm home.'_

'_Yes you are.'_

Now what?

Bath.

He'd had a bath at the castle a few days ago, but he still didn't feel clean. Two months worth of mud, blood and fleas didn't come off as easily as clothing. He could still feel the creepy little insects crawling all over his body. Especially since visiting the Arbiter's Grounds…all those cockroaches.

Link shivered and shrugged off his shield, placing it on the table. The bright paint was scratched and chipped in places but nothing unable to be fixed. Amazing. After all it had been through: arrows, swords, magic fireballs, slimy little critters.

"I'm going to clean you," he said quietly. In fact, all his weapons were going to be cleaned. Tomorrow.

Grandfather had always thought him a bit obsessive over cleanliness, especially for a boy. Link smiled as he unbuckled his hauberk and laid the trusty Ordon sword next to the shield. He could almost hear the old man.

"_If you scrub any harder your skin's gonna fall right off them bones."_

Good old grandfather. Goddesses, he missed him.

His belt joined the collection, holding everything in the world then some. He had to admit those magic pouches were extremely deceiving. They'd fooled him at first when he'd transformed back into a human and found himself in new clothes. When he'd first opened the pouches and discovered a mini-bottle and mini-wallet he'd been surprised, even more so when he drew them out and they expanded to their original size.

Secrets and tricks. There was no way on earth he could have carried all those different weapons without some form of magic.

Too bad_ he_ hadn't been given any magic. It would have been nice to flick his fingers and light a fire- which he needed to heat the water for his bath. Ah, well some things can't be helped.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin**

_By FrodoSilverlune_

**Chapter 2

* * *

**

Link sat in a small round tub of steaming water, suds dripping from his thick hair. Holding his breath he leaned forward, dunking his head under the water to rinse out the soap. He shook his hair underwater and came up, wet hair plastered to his face.

"Oh! I'm sorry…"

Startled, he flicked the hair out of his eyes to find Colin awkwardly turning his back in the doorway. Link grabbed a towel and hid himself.

"What do you want?"

"Um, I'll wait outside," the boy stammered and quickly fled the room.

Link sighed. Maybe he should make some sort of partition near the fireplace so he could maintain his privacy. He'd always known one day _someone _would walk in. After all you could only push your luck so far.

He rose dripping from the tub and stepped gingerly out onto the cold floor; there was no rug in the cooking area due to sparks from the fireplace and stove. Wrapping a large towel around his waist he shook his hair like a dog and combed his fingers through it haphazardly. He'd learned a few useful things from being a wolf. Drying oneself quickly was one of them.

As he passed by a mirror on his way to the clothes chest he caught a glimpse of himself reflected dimly in the light. He stopped.

Yes, the quest had changed him. His hair was longer, probably because he hadn't had time to have it trimmed. There was the scar trailing across his forehead through the right eyebrow. He'd earned it from the final battle against the huge skeleton-thing beneath the mirror chamber. Yet despite numerous such markings his hardened muscles rippled beneath pale skin.

'_I don't look too bad,'_ he thought, flexing his biceps and suddenly imagining Ilia walking in.

'_What?!'_

Blushing and abandoning the mirror he turned to pick up his clothes, yet for the first time in his life he couldn't decide what to wear.

On one pile sat his old farm clothes: the baggy trousers, wrappings and sandals.

On the other was the forest green tunic of the hero, complete with white under clothes, chain mail and boots.

They were both clean, his clothing having undergone a thorough washing at the castle before he left two days ago. A few days in the saddle didn't make them dirty enough to cast aside.

A knock echoed from the front door.

"Come in," he called.

The door opened a crack and Colin's blonde head peeked in cautiously.

"Is it safe? I mean, are you ready? I don't want to intrude…"

Link waved his hand.

"Sorry for shouting at you," he apologized and Colin nodded.

"I should have knocked first, it's my fault." He stepped into the room and his eyes drifted to the weapons piled on the table. By the way his eyes glistened Link knew he wanted to hold them, ask questions. But ever polite the young boy cleared his throat and tilted his head shyly.

"My mother sent me to invite you to Bo's house for supper."

"Your mother is inviting me to the mayor's house?"

Colin nodded, biting his lip. Clearly there was more happening but Link decided to play along.

"I'll come."

Colin beamed.

'_They're planning a surprise. Don't spoil it for him.'_

"Well, I'll see you then I guess," the boy said and turned to go.

"Wait," Link called. He held up the hero tunic in one hand and his Ordon shirt in the other. "What should I wear?"

Colin's eyes drifted from one to the other. Between past and present.

"You're the hero now," he said softly, more to himself than to Link.

"But I'm still just a plain old goat-boy," Link protested futilely. Deep down he knew he could never be 'just a goat herder' again.

Colin shrugged.

"It's up to you," he said and left.

'_Forget who I am,'_ Link thought in frustration. _'I'll just wear the Zora armor.'

* * *

_

To be continued! Sorry for it being so short, but I wanted to update fast so, anyways, thanks for all the reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

**Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin**

_By FrodoSilverlune_

**Chapter 3

* * *

**

Dusk had fallen through the trees- the gray hour of twilight. But this was natural twilight, not the golden haziness of Midna's realm.

Link, dressed in the hero's clothing (minus one pointy hat and one mail shirt) headed through an oddly dark and quiet village.

'_They're probably all waiting for me at the Mayor's house,'_ he thought with apprehension. They probably wanted to welcome him home, thank him or something. It was very nice of them to be so kind. So why did his stomach twist with nervousness? These were people he had known all his life.

'_It's my problem again,'_ he told himself as he made his way down the familiar paths. His trusty lantern cast a warm yellow light before his footsteps and he probably didn't need it, but he'd brought it nonetheless. Always be prepared, that was one of his mottos. It was probably why he was still alive.

'_No, I'm alive because of the goddesses,'_ he reminded himself. How many times had he fallen into an abyss and magically reappeared right where he had started? Certainly not through any of his own magic. He had none. Only magic tools. And those didn't really count.

Link had arrived at Mayor Bo's house. Ilia's house. Everything looked normal. The windows glowed softly from within. Smoke rose lazily from the chimney. He began to relax. If the entire village was inside there would have been much more noise. Boots tapping on worn wood he climbed the ramp and opened the door.

"SURPRISE!!"

Ordon had condensed into the Mayor's common room. Everyone was there: Colin, Ilia, Fado, Bo, Rusl, even Malo. Everyone was smiling at the blush flooding Link's face. They had decorated the room with green, blue, and yellow flowers- the colors of Link's family crest.

Talo ran forward and grabbed the hem of his tunic, grinning madly.

"Come on, Link! We set up a party for you!"

"Thanks…" he managed, still taking in his surroundings. Everyone looked pleased with themselves for surprising him.

"We hope you don't mind, lad," said Mayor Bo slapping him heartily on the shoulder. "Welcome home."

"Well don't just stand there everybody, dig in!" Pergie stood behind a long table covered with plates and plates of food. Talo let go of Link's shirt and bolted for his chair. As the crowd thinned out Link noticed a family he hadn't seen before.

"Link." He turned at the sound of Ilia's voice behind him.

'_Oh no.'_

"I'd like you to meet Ruby. Ruby, this is Link."

'_Oh no, not one of them.'_ Next to Ilia stood Ruby- an awkward teenage girl, cheeks blushing to match the color of her hair. _'Not one of those girls from the STAR game. What's she doing here?'_

"Hi," Link nodded. Ilia frowned at him. His mind spun with a way to escape. "I, uh…"

"Well boy, are you coming?"

"Yes! Excuse me," he backed away from the two girls and went to the table. It was a feast. His mouth watered. Dishes piled high with candied pumpkin, baskets of fresh bread waiting for softened butter to soak into their fluffy white dough. Towers of seasonal fruit flanked by platters of chicken and fish. And in the middle of the table lay a sizzling young boar.

He was guided to his seat at the head of the table and was about to sit down when Bo stopped him.

"Wait." The Mayor turned to his guests with a wry smile on his face. "Many of you know of my fascination with sumo wrestling," he said. "Many of you also know how Link mastered the skill to beat the Gorons and enter their mines." He paused dramatically. "How would y'all like to see young Link work for his dinner?"

Cheers erupted from around the table as everyone jumped up and swarmed into the mayor's wrestling room, catching a very disappointed young hero in their wake.

'_Work for my dinner? He just wants to show off!_'

"BROTHER!!"

Something very large and rock hard pummeled him on the back, sending him to the floor. As he tried to catch the wind that had been knocked out of him he was plucked up to stagger in front of a massive Darbus.

'_How did he get in here?'_

"We heard you were back, brother, so we came to say hello."

"We?"

Gor Coron the elder stepped from behind Darbus' bulk followed by the tiny steaming Gor Amoto.

"Hello Link," Gor Coron said in a friendly voice. "You have a nice home."

"Oh, this? This is Mayor Bo's house."

Gor Coron smiled.

"I meant your village."

"Thank you," Link replied, still a bit overwhelmed. "And thank you for coming."

"We came to see the match," Darbus declared, standing solidly with his arms crossed over his huge chest. "Go on, get on with it!"

"I don't want to wrestle," Link mumbled under his breath as he crossed the room.

'_Especially in front of everyone.'_

Bo had stripped down to his sumo 'uniform' and now waited up on the circular raised wrestling ring. The crowd, gathered a small distance from the edge were almost jumping with excitement. Link sighed and sat on the floor to remove his boots. He started to remove his tunic but a high squeal from somewhere in the room stopped him immediately. He was not going to undress in front of _her_.

Barefoot he stepped into the ring and tried to look enthusiastic. Was it hot in here?

Link stood across from Bo and bowed. The Mayor raised his leg and brought it down heavily onto the mat, shaking the floor. Golly he hated this part. Link repeated the salute, raising his own leg and stomping as hard as he could. The platform didn't even vibrate.

Why was he so nervous? His palms were sweaty.

Tiny elder Gor Amoto hopped between them as the pair crouched into the ready stance.

"May the strongest win," he chanted. "Begin!"

Bo stepped forward and slapped. Link sidestepped and grabbed him around the waist, pushing against his opponent as hard as he could. Bo wiggled free and sidestepped to grab him from the side. Link twisted in his grip and managed to slip away.

Cheers erupted all around the audience as the crowd was drawn into the match.

Link and Bo circled each other warily, each waiting for the other to act first. This time Link struck, feigning a move right and quickly jumping to the left. Bo spun away and his palm connected with Link's shoulder, stunning him for an instant. It was in that instant Bo rushed in, pushing him steadily towards the edge.

'_Not good.'_

Link tried to find better footing, but as his weight shifted Bo used the lost balance to heave him over the edge.

'_Rats.'_

The Mayor dusted his hands and grinned.

"Dinner's getting cold," he taunted.

'_I really don't want to be here.'_

Link picked himself off the ground and climbed back into the ring.

'_Let's get this over with.'_

Wait, why was he short of breath? The match hadn't lasted more than a minute.

"Begin!"

Forty seconds later Bo stood over him again, laughing.

"Try harder, kid! Do you want to eat or what?"

'_I'm not the hero anymore. Why should I have to do this?'_

He faced Bo again, resolving to finish the humiliation. Why were his legs feeling so weak? That wasn't going to help him at all.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gor Coron shaking his head, smiling slightly as if to say "no boots this time kid."

As Gor Amoto started the third match, Link suddenly had the gut feeling something was wrong. With himself. He pushed the thought away as Bo attacked. Surprising his opponent with an open palm, Link latched his arms around the burly Ordonian and heaved with all his might. The Mayor lost his balance and fell onto one knee. Link let him stand and then rushed again, ducking underneath the slap to topple him out of the ring.

Suddenly his own knees buckled. His heart exploded into frantic beating like a bird trying to escape. Shocked, he gasped for air, loosing concentration and was tossed once more out of the ring.

As he sat up his throat gaped, almost as if his heart had vaulted into his windpipe. What had happened? Mind whirling in confusion, he stood shakily and pushed through the crowd.

Once outside he sat heavily on the ramp and pressed a hand to his heart. He panted wildly, lungs crying for more air as if he'd sprinted to the castle and back. What on earth was wrong?

'_Maybe it's the crowd.'_ He'd never been comfortable around large groups of people. Once when he was younger he'd vomited during a party. That had to be it.

"Link?"

Ilia put a soft hand on his shoulder and knelt down beside him.

"Is something wrong?"

He shrugged and fought to control his breathing, not sure which excuse to give.

"I needed some air," he said quickly.

"Okay, well, we're all waiting inside. Bo decided to let you eat."

Link groaned softly. Ilia sat beside him. She knew him well enough to know when something was wrong. After a pause and a sigh he finally gave in.

"I appreciate the party, really, I do. And I know you've all been cooking all day for this. And the Gorons came all this way…"

"…but…"

He sighed.

"I just really don't want to be in front of all those people."

She nodded in understanding.

"Can you survive for a few minutes? Jaggle is going to make an announcement I think you'll want to hear."

"It's not about me I hope."

"No."

Link sighed again, this time in resignation.

"Very well." He stood.

Ilia's eyes were black in the shadows.

"Are you sure you're not hurt?"

Link shook his head.

"No."

* * *

"I have an announcement."

The clatter of forks and knives against ceramic plates hushed as all eyes turned towards Jaggle. The short stocky miller stood, joined by his family beside him.

"I'll cut straight to the point," he said raising his chin. "Me and my family have decided to pack up and move to Castle Town."

The news didn't seem to surprise anybody.

"As y'all know my son Malo's store is doin' so well we're all gonna move out there to keep it goin'."

Jaggle motioned for the family across from him to stand. The father, a tall husky man with a wild head of yellow hair took his wife's hand, a shorter but strongly built woman with a tanned face. Their three children, red-haired Ruby and two smaller boys glanced shyly around them.

"May I introduce Gimm and his family: Roxi, Ruby, Garret and Goin. They're gonna be takin over the mill here."

Applause broke out all over the room and Gimm the Miller cleared his throat.

"My family wants to thank y'all for making us feel so welcome here," he said in a deep voice. "If things continue the way things look, we might be the first of a new stream of settlers lookin' to move to Ordon." He glanced at Link, as did his boys. Suddenly everyone was looking at him, expecting him to say something. Link turned to the Mayor, who shrugged towards the new family.

'_Why are they looking at me? What do I have to say?'_

"Uh, that's wonderful," Link said. Bo nudged him on.

"What do I say?" Link whispered to him.

"Anything."

He tried to smile.

"I uh, hope you like it here. There's goats and cheese…and…pumpkins in the village. The grain comes from private farmers in the valley behind the ranch…"

"We know," said Gimm. "Mayor Bo showed us everything yesterday." Link wanted to dive into a closet and hide.

'_Well what do they expect me to say?'_

"We're going to miss you, Jaggle," said the Mayor. "You and Pergie, little Malo and Talo."

"Little Malo's making them all rich," mumbled the small business owner beside his father.

The announcement was over. As the party resumed eating Link shifted restlessly in his seat. He tried not to look at the half-eaten chicken on the serving dish in front of him- the chicken with an extra toe. As a wolf he'd talked to that chicken. She'd been friendly. Poor thing, she was too nice to eat.

Carefully Link edged out of his chair.

"Thanks for the meal," he told the ladies seated together by the stove. And before anyone could ask anymore questions he slipped out the door.

* * *

To be continued! 


	4. Chapter 4

**Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin**

_By Frodo Silverlune_ Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Sorry if I didn't reply to you, I can't reply to anonymouseses or if I missed you bop me over the head with a plastic Arrowhead bottle. Or I'll put you in the story. Yeah! Give you a cameo appearance. Can't do it to everyone I'm afraid, but I'll pick someone who volunteers and bribes me with chocolate. Anyways, on with the update:

**Chapter 4

* * *

**

Thick and greasy, the aroma of lubricating oil saturated the muted indoor atmosphere. Link sat at the small round table next to his beehive-shaped fireplace and upended a vial onto a dirt-blackened old rag, letting more tawny yellow oil soak into the gritty cloth. Satisfied with the amount he righted the small glass and stopped it with a cork, replacing it on the table with a muted thud. So which weapon should he attack next?

His blue eyes glanced over Epona's tack, the Ordonian sword, Hylian shield and both clawshots as leather gleamed mahogany red and steel reflected white sunlight peeking in through the hole in his roof. Looming beside them on a matching rubber blanket piled the daunting remainder of his equipment. He'd gotten carried away again.

It had started with the dirt-stiffened bridle, then he noticed the saddle was in desperate need of cleaning. Of course with the saddle he had to include the cinch and other fastenings, and before he knew it an everyday chore had turned into an ambitious, rather monumental maintenance project.

Link sighed, judging by the shadows that the time was nearly noon. At least no one had bothered him today, or yesterday as he cleaned house. He hoped they weren't offended by his disappearance two nights ago.

'_The party…'_

Quickly Link snatched up the largest of his quivers and vigorously began massaging oil into the wide leather shoulder strap. He'd thought the 'attack,' as he called it had been over. But last morning he'd woken up in distress, as though a relentless gnarled claw chewed continuously in his stomach. He'd thought it would go away last night but it hadn't. Usually he would dismiss it as something he'd eaten, but he'd felt so sick yesterday he hadn't eaten anything. And this was different.

It wasn't unfamiliar.

He'd experienced the same dull restlessness, the lightheaded apparition of panic before: in the moments leading up to an important battle, when those he cared for were in danger, when he himself was in danger. This time, though, the anxiety had fixated itself around the oddest of figures.

Somehow he had become afraid, no, terrified of Bo's house.

Bo's house.

Link finished the strap and strained over the stiffened casing, fingers working into the leather in an endless circular pattern.

It was impossible. How could this be? He had the Triforce of Courage! He'd faced enemies ten times his size, defeated two great kings of evil! How could one little incident turn him into a petrified coward?

"I am no coward," Link declared to himself.

'_Then why have you been hiding inside for one-and-a-half days?'_

That was it. He threw the rag onto the table in frustration.

"I am going to walk out that door into the village and go thank him for the party."

He wiped his hands on a rag and fastened the familiar sandals on his feet. He got all the way to the door and stopped.

Pain, tightness deep within his core made him hesitate with one hand over the door handle.

'_This is foolishness.'_

He opened the door.

"Link!"

Malo, Talo, Beth and Colin raced to the foot of his ladder.

"You're finally awake," stated Beth as he climbed down. "Where were you yesterday? We thought you were going to hide forever!"

Link smiled faintly.

"Sorry. I was cleaning things. Working…"

"That's all right," Talo chipped in. "We knew you'd come out sometime. Now you can teach us some new skills you learned on your adventure!"

Instantly Link's thoughts snapped to the mysterious skeleton warrior, the trainer in the mist. Of course he wouldn't pass on any of_ those_ skills. He scratched the back of his neck. The tightness still clenched his stomach but being with the children didn't seem to aggravate it.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

Talo waved his wooden sword above his head and pretended to impale Link in the chest. Deciding to play along, Link grabbed the tip of the sword and fell onto his back, holding the sword upright above his heart.

"Augh," he groaned, hoping the act was convincing. He certainly wasn't as into it as he usually was. "Why'd you kill me?"

"Why?" Talo pulled his sword away, and as it 'left' Link's body he screamed and arched his back, reacting. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Beth flinch. He moaned again and jerked in spasms, first one leg, then two, then his whole body.

"Uh…Link?"

He began thrashing about on the grass, shaking his head from side to side and groaning in pain.

'_I must look so stupid.'_

"Link?!" Colin's voice squeaked, and Link stilled in death. He did his best to keep a blank stare in his open eyes but eventually he had to blink. He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair to straighten it. Beth sighed in relief.

"Golly Link, you almost got me," Talo breathed.

"Why?"

"What?"

Link stood and brushed dry bits of brown grass off his farm clothing.

"What did you expect," he asked the boys, "that death is quick and easy?"

Talo shifted his feet and glanced down.

"It's not a game," he said solemnly. "That could have been you with an arrow through your heart, bleeding to death because no one could…" he stopped, deciding to keep the morbid details to a minimum. He sighed. That lesson had been a bit impromptu, not to mention unorthodox. He should make it up to them.

"Perhaps if you want to learn something useful, go get a slingshot."

"How are we supposed to get one?" Beth asked. Link shrugged.

"No one told me how to do things. I had to figure it out all alone."

'_Well, not entirely.'_

'_She doesn't count. Midna only told you what to do, not where to go or how to get there.'_

He turned and began walking towards the village.

"When you get one practice on your targets," he called over his shoulder. Talo and Beth were bending their heads together, arguing about something. Malo simply shook his head and walked away.

"If I really thought I could use a slingshot," he was saying, "I'd get one. But do I need one? No."

"Link?"

Colin ran up behind him and shyly joined his side. Link noticed he was wearing a simplified soft leather pauldron on his right shoulder.

"I've been training, Link," he said. "My father's been teaching me how to use the sword."

"Wonderful!"

They continued walking. As the pair entered the village and the prominent peak of Bo's house peeked above the other buildings he inwardly flinched.

'_It's Bo's house silly. You've been going there all your life. Stop being such a sissy.'_

"I was wondering…" Colin interjected, "if you could teach me to ride?"

"Do you have a horse?"

"Well, no. I thought Epona…"

"She's a very big horse, Colin."

The young boy hung his head.

"Ask your father first. And try to find a smaller horse, maybe a large pony. But if you can't then I suppose we can start on Epona."

Colin's face brightened as though lit by a thousand golden suns.

"Really?! Thank you!"

There it was.

Link stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the Mayor's house across the small bridge. Fear rushed over him as though he were tumbling in white rapids, careening down the Zora's river.

'_Idiot!'_

"Link? Are you okay?"

'_I can't go there. I can't.'_

Turning away in shame he started back the way he had come.

"I'm fine," he said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Colin trotted quickly to keep up.

"I forgot something," Link lied, hoping his cheeks weren't too red.

'_Go back! It's a house for goodness sakes. A house!'_

He stopped again, torn between what everything inside him screamed to do and what he knew was logical.

"Link, are you sick?"

"No!" The denial burst from him a little too abruptly. He wasn't sick. He was in the best shape of his life! He could wrestle rock-men, propel himself through the air, wield his sword through armor and chain mail! There wasn't anything wrong with him!

Colin was still staring at him in disbelief. The boy bit his lip and Link remembered how highly he was revered by the youngster.

"I'm sorry Colin," he apologized. "It's just different being back home, that's all. I'm not entirely all together yet." He smiled, hoping to alleviate the situation.

"Oh. Well if there's anything I can do to help…"

"Why don't you go ask your father about riding lessons?"

Colin nodded and started off, glancing back one time in concern. Link smiled and waved.

"_Are you sick?"_

No. He wasn't sick. It was simply an after-effect of the quest. He'd heard about soldiers who had seen horrific things in battles, how sometimes they weren't exactly themselves once they got home. They'd become hermits. Mentally unstable…insane…

"No," Link whispered to himself. "I am not insane."

'_I'm not insane.'

* * *

_

**To be continued!** Okay I lied. There's angst. Deal with it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin**

_By FrodoSilverlune_ Sorry it took me so long to update. But here you go. Enjoy. And do leave me a note. Happy Valentine's Day!

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"Easy there. Lean forward and grip with your knees. Good! Now come around and try again."

Colin clicked his tongue and his small bay gelding moved into a trot. Sitting on the ground in the barn's shade, Link watched as the young boy circled around Ordon ranch's goat pasture. He urged the horse into a canter and rode straight for a low fence, thin blonde bangs brushing behind his face as his blue eyes narrowed in concentration.

Link bit his cheek to keep from calling out advice as the distance closed between the rider and his target. Twenty feet, ten feet…the horse soared gracefully over the logs and his hooves landed in the dust on the other side.

"Yes! I did it!" Colin shouted in triumph.

Link felt his face break into a genuine smile of pride.

"Well done!"

Colin wheeled his horse around and brought him around to stand before Link. He too wore a grin as large as the arena.

"That was amazing!" He exclaimed, eyes shining with wonder. "I'm going to do it again!"

Link nodded and leaned back against the worn barn wall, hoping not to catch any splinters in his back through his thin ranch garment. Colin was indeed an exceptionally talented boy. They had only been working at riding for the past two weeks and already he was jumping.

Overhead the light was fading fast. In a harsh orange mantle the sun was sinking behind the hilltops, drawing black shadows from the sap of trees, colorless shades leaking from the cellars of sleepy homes. All around one could taste the sunset- pluck a handful of liquid fire from the air itself. A pine-scented chill brushed across Link's bare arms. It was time to turn in for the night.

"Colin," he called, standing and nodding towards the village. The boy acknowledged him and jumped the fence once more. He would have stayed out all night if Link let him.

"Sabre needs his rest."

Colin sighed but dismounted, taking the reigns of the gelding in his right hand and leading him into the vast darkness of the barn. Link picked up his trusty lantern and struck a match, raising the soot-smudged glass and touching the flame to the oil-soaked wick. You never knew what might be lying on the barn floor, even though he put all tools away every night. Long ago, one clout in the forehead from a forgotten rake had been lesson enough.

By the small but sufficient light of the lantern Colin untacked his horse, Sabre. Actually it was his father's horse but Rusl said he was too old to ride. Besides, everyone knew it was Colin who had persuaded him to buy it. Thankfully an unexpected gift had appeared anonymously in their mail for the purchase.

"Thank you, Link," Colin said as he brushed the sweat from Sabre's dusky brown coat. He always said that, every night. And every night Link replied with the same answer.

"You're welc…"

"LINK! Where are you?!"

Startled by the shouting, the goats in their stalls shuffled and bayed. Fado came barreling into the barn and stepped on the end of a rake. The handle flew up and smacked him in the forehead. He cursed and flung it out of his path.

"Link! There you are! There's been an accident!"

"What happened?" Link set the lantern down by Colin's tack.

"It's Bo! Somethin's the matter with him."

Leaving the pair behind, Link sprinted out of the barn and through the pasture, thoughts racing. His sandals pounded the dirt road heavily as he flew into the village, to the doorstep of the Mayor's home.

'_Don't go in there!'_

He hesitated for a second. Three weeks. It had been three weeks and he'd managed to avoid the house.

"Where's Link?"

Voices tight with panic traced outside into the stillness of the evening twilight. They needed him.

'_I can't go in there!'_

'_Why, for goodness sakes? It's only a house!'_

Link clenched his fist, torn with frustration. Everything inside him screamed to walk away. His heart was pounding with anxiety. Marbles rolled around in his stomach.

'_But Bo!'_

Pushing through a wall of resistance he walked up the ramp. Every step felt as though he were stuck to a magnetic ceiling. He touched the handle and opened the door.

A crowd of villagers had gathered in the alcove where Bo's bed sat partitioned from the rest of the room. Jovial Sera was wringing her hands, a pained expression on her homey face. Hanch and Rusl were standing together near the Mayor's cluttered desk. With grave faces and arms crossed they were a somber pair. Even Gimm and Roxi had come and were huddled awkwardly in a corner. Gimm's long white apron was still coated in flour and wheat hulls. Evidently he had rushed over only moments ago.

Link stepped into the dimly lit room. Bo glared defiantly at him from the wall, poised in a sumo stance. Perhaps the man's great strength would help him now.

"Link! Thank goodness you're here!"

Pergie nearly flew to him from the fireplace, wiping her wet hands on her apron. All the faces in the room turned to him and he felt a wave of panic swell inside his chest. What was _wrong_ with him?

Pergie rushed him to Bo's side, explaining.

"Ilia found him collapsed in the sumo ring. He's unconscious and struggling to breathe."

Bo was stretched on his bed beneath layers of thick wool blankets. Ilia perched anxiously on a chair at his bedside, wiping his forehead with a wet cloth. The Mayor's face was ashen and his breath wheezed between parted lips.

Ilia glanced up. Her green eyes met Link's, pleading silently to save him.

There was little time.

"I'm not a doctor," Link said. "I don't know what's wrong."

"But you've survived worse than this," protested Ilia. "You must know something!"

Link shook his head, mind spinning.

"Renado is the closest doctor. But even if I rode for him, I don't think we would make it back in time."

"But you have to try!"

Suddenly Link slapped his forehead.

"I am such an idiot!"

He turned on his heel and raced out of the room.

Once outside he skidded to a halt at the end of the ramp and putting Ilia's whistle to his lips he blew a clear, sweet melody into the evening air. Then he waited. Thankfully Epona wasn't locked into her stall like all the other animals. Should he need her in a hurry she could kick open her door and jump the corral gate.

Sure enough, a moment later the hollow beat of hooves on packed dirt came to his ears and the sorrel mare came galloping down the road. She slid to a stop in front of him and tossed her head, proud of herself for breaking out so easily. Her snow white mane and tail almost glowed against the growing darkness of the night.

"Good girl," Link said as he grabbed her mane with one fist and half-sprang, half-pulled himself onto her bare back. She wasn't bridled, but they knew each other so well he had only to look in a certain direction and she would turn on a dime. It had taken years to develop that skill.

Clicking his tongue he urged Epona forward and the pair shot down the road, between the houses and out of the village. They stopped at Link's house and he vaulted from her back, taking the ladder two steps at a time. The darkness had seeped into his house making it difficult to distinguish furniture. By memory he went to the sink and found what he was looking for. Snatching up the empty bottle he made his way back outside, stuffing it into an empty bag sitting beside the door and slinging it over his shoulder.

And he was off again.

Epona knew the woods as he knew the inside of his house.

"To the Spring girl," he said. She shifted underneath him and he knew she understood.

Galloping in the woods is almost suicide if you don't know the path. Normally even Link wouldn't have taken the road at such a speed especially at night. Horses can see in the dark but he couldn't, not anymore. As smart as she was, Epona didn't take into consideration the height of a rider sitting on her back.

Link bent low over her back, squinting against the wind in his eyes. A tree branch stung his face and a moment later he felt something wet trickling down his cheek.

They angled around a corner and there it was. The flowered gates of Ordon Spring stood open. Beyond them floated the fairies, brilliant stars in the darkness illuminating the atmosphere and the water beneath them.

Epona splashed into the shallow water and Link dismounted. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, claming himself down. He took the bottle from his bag and began wading slowly forward.

The water was warm, as always. It certainly wasn't hot like the Goron's springs, but the temperature was pleasantly soothing. Every sacred spring had been warm except Lanayru. Link had supposed it was because the water was so deep.

Clean sand filtered in between the leather sandals and his skin, but he chose to ignore the gritty annoyance. As he waded farther heat began to pulsate from the fresh cut on his cheek. He could actually feel his skin growing back, healing. Although familiar from his many past wounds, it still felt unnatural.

He had approached the fairies.

Fairies were still a novelty to him. He had been told his ancestor the Hero of Time had a fairy friend, but fairies had become rarer in the hundred-and-fifty years since then. Now as he stepped into their flock, or herd, or swarm, he couldn't keep from marveling at their delicate beauty or the magic radiating from the tiny beings as powerfully as their silver-pink aura. They floated so peacefully above the water, it was a shame to disturb them.

Link shook his head to focus on his task. One fairy floated close to him, wings beating lazily. Quick as a flash Link swung the bottle and felt the little thump as the fairy hit the end of the glass. Stunned, it could do nothing as he pressed the cork firmly into the neck.

"Sorry," Link apologized as he placed the prisoner back in his bag. He didn't like to hear the poor creature pleading for its freedom. "I'll let you out soon, I promise."

The short trip back to the village seemed to take an eternity. Epona could definitely sense his urgency and rounded the many curves of the trail with even greater speed, nearly throwing him off once or twice. He breathed a sigh of relief when the gates of Ordon came into view. Someone had lit a lantern on the gatepost. The rush of their passing almost put out the flame.

Back through the village and they had arrived. Colin was waiting for him at the Mayor's doorstep. Link dismounted and clutching his bag, strode purposefully into Bo's house. Ignoring the stares and the reawakened fear in his gut he pushed past the spectators to Bo's bedside.

"Ilia, can you back away for a moment," he asked.

Reluctantly she stood and moved off a few feet. The rest of the villagers crowded around, craning to see what he would do. Link pulled out the bottle with the fairy inside. She was banging her tiny fists on the glass and shouting nasty things at him in fairy language. Thankfully all anyone heard were muted bells.

Link pulled back Bo's blankets, exposing his broad bare chest. The mayor's breathing had worsened- his very presence seemed to be fading. Link pulled out the cork with a pop and quickly upended the bottle, shaking the fairy out onto Bo's chest.

The fairy fell out and landed in an undignified tangle of wings and limbs on Bo's skin. Straightening herself out she stood, fluttering her slender wings like a bird in a bath. As she did so a cascade of shining, glittery pink dust erupted from her aura. Ever so gracefully the dust settled onto Bo's pale chest.

The fairy flew into the air, circling twice before shaking her fist in Link's face and pinching him on the nose. Leaving a trail of shining stars in her wake, she zipped out the window into the night.

"Look," said Roxi.

Bo's chest was glowing. The fairies' dust had spread, surrounding Bo in a halo of pale pink light. This was nothing new to Link but he supposed from the awe on everyone's faces that they had never seen anything quite so magical before.

The light pulsed once, twice then began to fade. Beneath the glow Link watched as Bo's breathing grew deeper and the lines on his face eased.

Satisfied Link slipped between the dumbstruck villagers and stole away into the night.

* * *

_To be continued!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin**

_By FrodoSilverlune _Apologies for the delay. Multiple reasons, but at last, here it is. Thanks to Die Schildkroten for the read-over!

**Chapter 6

* * *

**

The day began like every other. Rising over the stony ridge, the golden sun peeked onto an already bustling village. Amid the golden beams of sunrise cuccos plucked hungrily at invisible insects, white smoke rose hurriedly from chimneys urging the indoor inhabitants to take advantage of the daylight. Crickets and beetles, weary from their night-long performance scurried thankfully beneath leaves and stones to await dusk.

Up the hill at the ranch Fado had already been milking for an hour. Grumbling to himself, he shook his head, strong hands rhythmically squeezing a goat's pair of silky teats. Methodically stream after short stream of creamy white milk shot into his wooden bucket, already half full.

"I'm getting' to old to be doin' this," he mumbled to the goat whose scratchy blue side he was pressed against. "Mornin's are just gettin' colder, joints gettin' stiffer. Link should be out here helpin' me, what do you think?"

The only answer was deep crunching; her nose was engulfed in her grain. Fado kept talking.

"What do you think old girl? He's been actin' somethin' odd since he came back, fer sure. Of course all that hero business must've growed him up some, but he sure is serious nowadays. Don't talk much. Now I'm just an old goat herder, girl, but if it were me talkin' I'd say he's got a good case o' them blues. Sleepin in more than usual…"

Fado began to gently but firmly massage her smooth udder, drawing out the last drops of milk. Satisfied she was empty he stood and unlatched the board holding her neck still while she ate from a raised trough. Still chewing, she swung around and ambled lazily out of the barn into the pasture.

Fado went to the back of the barn and entered the milk room. The milk room was small and dark. Windowless, the only light came from a lantern dangling from the ceiling. Two more doors led out of the milk room. One door to Fado's right led to a large storage shed filled with crates of empty bottles and milking equipment. The second door was actually a trap door set in the floor next to the shed. It led to an underground chamber lined with ice cut during the winter. It was here that the goat's milk was preserved fresh for its many different uses.

Already eight huge jars sat filled with warm milk and sealed on the floor by a table. Fado lifted the bucket to shoulder height and began to poor the milk through a funnel-shaped strainer into another identical, empty glass container. When the last drops had trickled through, he set the bucket down and sealed the jar with a large round cork, placing the jar on the floor to join the others. It was a procedure he had performed every morning for forty years. For the last sixteen the boy Link had been there beside him, first as a toddling two-year-old and now as a man. Link was like a son to Fado, whose beloved wife had died tragically in childbirth before their first year of marriage.

Fado knew Link. Which was why when he reentered the barn and no one greeted him but goats he decided to check on the young man himself. Of course he had to finish the milking first. As concerned as he was, the goats had to be taken care of on time.

* * *

A couple hours later Fado's concern had blossomed into worry. As he hurried through the village he was greeted with surprise by Rusl at his anvil and a few back-country farmers. Ordon was larger now. Those who had lost their homes during the invasion were starting new lives wherever opportunity led them.

He passed the tall wooden frame of a new inn jutting out of freshly-cleared ground behind Sera's house. Like the rest of the original villagers he didn't know quite what to make of expansion. Economically it was good, he supposed. But it was change.

"Hi Fado!"

Colin appeared at his elbow and joined him as he walked.

"Good morning," Fado greeted the boy.

"Have you seen Link?"

"No. I was on my way to his house."

"Oh."

Apparently Fado wasn't the only one who was worrying.

As the pair approached the enormous hollow tree in which Link's great-great grandfather had built his home, the absence of smoke rising from the chimney only affirmed their concerns. The high window was fastened shut.

"Hoy, Link!" Fado's bellow carried easily up all three stories. When no reply was forthcoming, Colin scrambled up the ladder and knocked carefully on the door.

Silence, save bluebirds chattering through the forest pines. Unsure, Colin glanced shyly down at Fado, who sighed and lumbered up the ladder to join him.

"Should we go in?" Colin asked uncertainly, remembering the last time he'd intruded into Link's home.

"Why not? He's the one sleepin' in."

Fado twisted the dented metal doorknob and marched boldly in.

"Mornin Link! Rise and shine!" Fado's penetrating call echoed in Colin's ears as he tiptoed around the room, inspecting the cold fireplace and dirty dishes in the dry sink. His eyes traveled up both ladders to the third-level platform extending across half the ceiling.

"You go on and get him up, lad," Fado directed, heading towards the door. "I gotta get back ta the ranch. When he gets up send him on down. Them new boards gotta be planed today sos we can seal up the new shed." He slammed the door roughly behind him and Colin winced.

Left alone in the dark house, Colin hesitated before climbing the first ladder. Would Link be angry with him for waking him up? But it was late, what if Link was sick? He would be glad of someone to care for him.

Motivated by the hope of being useful, Colin climbed the first ladder and stood on the small shelf, noticing the pencil drawing of Epona mounted on the wall above a cluttered bookcase. Ilia had sketched it last spring, as she had all the other pictures around Link's home. She was Ordon's semblance of an artist.

"Link?" Colin called softly up the second ladder. He thought he heard sheets shifting. Quickly the boy ascended the ladder.

The top level of Link's home extended like a very fat 'L,' with the ladder at the extreme tip of the bottom and the window alcove jutting out along the base to Colin's left. Following the natural curve of the tree, the small platform gave just enough space for a bed along the wall at the top of the 'L,' a small chest at the foot of the bed, a stool, and a washstand by the window.

And in the rumpled bed was Link. Buried in mismatched quilts with only the blonde top of his disheveled head peeking out, he was curled on his side facing the wall. He didn't stir as Colin took a few steps closer, toes brushing the soft, thick fibers of the blue carpet on the floor.

"Good morning Link."

There was no response. Colin went over to the window and pushed open the weathered panes. Bright morning sunlight flooded the atmosphere, shining directly onto Link's white pillow.

Link groaned and rolled over on his other side, but the sunlight lay across his entire bed.

"Shut the window," he mumbled, folding his pillow over his eyes. Colin felt like doing the same almost every morning.

"Sorry Link," he apologized. "But Fado needs you at the ranch."

Link sighed.

"He said some boards needed to be planed."

Colin could almost feel Link groan as he rolled out of bed and stumbled past him to the window. Clumsily he pulled the shutters closed and leaned against the wall with a shiver. Colin couldn't help staring.

"What happened?" He asked.

Link looked awful. Dark shadows had leeched beneath his eyes; his face seemed to be dripping with weariness like molten lead. Link rubbed his eyes with a fist and hid a yawn.

"Sorry, I know I should have been up earlier," he apologized, making his way in his wrinkled nightclothes- loose trousers and a shirt- to the washstand.

"Are you sick?" Colin asked as Link splashed water on his face.

"No," he said after a minute, drying his face on his sleeve then shaking his head like a dog, blinking. He yawned again. "I didn't sleep well last night."

'_I haven't slept well every night,'_ Link thought to himself, finally beginning to wake up.

"Oh," stammered Colin bashfully. He shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other. "We got worried…"

Suddenly, for the second time that morning a knock vibrated intrusively through the house.

'_What now?'_

"Do you want me to answer it for you?" Colin was already halfway down the ladder. Sighing Link followed, taking every step instead of jumping like he usually did.

"No, I'll get it."

He yawned once more for good measure as he touched the floor. He was so tired!

Link opened the door. Immediately he wished he hadn't.

On his doorstep stood the pomp of the Royal Court in all its flamboyant splendor. A scarlet-robed messenger eyed Link with distaste, his own richly embroidered uniform impeccably groomed and dust-free. Poised below and behind him on the ground unfurled a matching duo of the Royal Trumpeters, their slender horns glinting gold in the sunlight.

"I have a message for the Hero of Hyrule," proclaimed the messenger.

Link cleared his throat and wished the sunlight wasn't giving him such a headache.

"I guess that's me," he said with as much dignity as he could muster.

The messenger was talented. Without a pause he swept into a bow and produced a sealed letter from thin air.

"An invitation from Her Royal Highness Princess Zelda," he declared, rising from the bow. The trumpeters broke into a fanfare. Link didn't know his cheeks could get so hot.

"Um, thanks."

"Her Highness wishes to extend an invitation to Link, the Hero of Hyrule to attend a Ball celebrating the deliverance of the land. Further details are included in the letter, and Her Highness wished to give you this…" he handed Link a small silk bag heavy with rupees, "…to cover the cost of the journey."

'_I shouldn't have got out of bed.'_

Link bowed in return.

'_Was I supposed to do that?'_

"Thanks," he managed. Yet the messenger didn't leave.

"I'm to await your response, my lord."

"Right. I guess you can tell her I'll be there."

The messenger bowed again.

"Many thanks, my lord. I shall deliver your response immediately. Good day."

Clutching the letter and purse, Link retreated into his house and shut the door. Colin stared wide-eyed at the ivory parchment.

"An invitation from the Princess!" He exclaimed in shock.

Link released the breath he had been holding and attempted a smile.

'_Here I go again.'

* * *

_

To be continued!


	7. Chapter 7

Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin

By FrodoSilverlune - Sorry I took so long to update. I am going to try to go faster.

**Chapter 7

* * *

**

"_Her Highness wishes to extend an invitation to Link, the Hero of Hyrule to attend a Ball celebrating the deliverance of the land…"_

Link stared numbly at the Princess' invitation waiting open on his table. As he slouched against the wall on a stool, the elegant black script waltzing across the ivory parchment seemed to climb, twisting into an intricate iron-barred gate, shutting him off from the rest of the world.

'_I can't go.'_

'_You said you would.'_

'_But there's something wrong with me, what if…'_

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, shifting his gaze to the over flowing sink. Golly, it looked like he'd been eating. If one looked closely, though, they'd see an invisible film of dust settled on the twice-dirty dishes. He'd have to clean house before he left.

At least he had time. The date of the ball was a week and a half away. He could ride to Castle Town in two days if he pushed Epona hard and didn't stop to rest. Perhaps if he left early he could see the doct...Shad. Should he tell him about the Rod?

'_Fado…'_

Link groaned and pushed himself up. He was stiff again today. He should stretch, practice a bit with Rusl, make sure he stayed fit.

Rusl. As a member of the alliance who opposed Ganondorf, the Princess had invited him to the ball as well. But would he go? He had a new baby to care for now.

Rummaging through a cupboard, he found half a loaf of bread and some of yesterday's milk. He pulled the cork from the bottle with a bright pop, raised the drink to his lips and…

'…_Warm milk dribbled out of the corner of his mouth, trickling down his chin to drip on a dirt-encrusted tunic. Panting heavily he crouched behind a moss-robed boulder, hiding. He rubbed his eyes with a filthy gloved hand; he was so tired. Would the temple ever run out of enemies? Leaning against the rock he closed his eyes, waiting for the 'enhanced' drink to numb his mind against the pain…'_

No.

Link set the bottle down, deciding he wasn't really hungry anyways.

* * *

Rusl and his family were eating dinner when a familiar knock tapped on their door. With a smile in his eyes, Rusl nodded to his son who leapt from his chair to answer.

"I'll fetch him a plate," Uli said as she rose.

"Hi Link!" Colin opened the door wide, throwing light onto the young man on their doorstep.

"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt," Link apologized, backing away into the shadows. "I tried to come earlier but…"

"Do come in, Link," urged Uli. "Have some of my pumpkin soup. I know how much you like it."

Link froze for an instant, a strange emotion passing swift as a ghost across his eyes. For the second time that day Colin's heart landed in his stomach.

Then it was gone.

"I'll only be a minute," Link said quickly, stepping across the worn threshold, allowing Colin to shut the door behind him. "A letter came to my house today. An invitation to the castle."

Rusl's face broke into a huge grin.

"Was it from the Princess?"

"No…I mean, in a way yes," Link stammered. He didn't like the way the two adults were staring at him so mischievously. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled it out, handing it to Rusl to read.

His wife and son crowded over his shoulder as Rusl scanned the page.

"Oh!" Uli exclaimed. "What an honor!"

Colin stared at his father in shock and pride.

"You're going to meet the Princess?!"

Rusl sat with a troubled look in his face.

"No. I'm not going."

"But dearest, why not?"

He reached up and tenderly touched his wife's cheek.

"The greatest honor anyone can bestow on me is sitting right here, in this home. I do not want to leave you again without protection, now when you and our daughter need it all the more."

"But the village is safe now, dad," Colin protested. "Link saved us. You don't have to worry anymore."

"No Colin," Link cut in. "There are still bands of moblins running loose around Hyrule. Believe it or not there are even vengeful ruffians who wouldn't think twice about invading Ordon again. Remember what happened to Kakariko?"

Colin slowly nodded his head, understanding.

"Even though the war is over," Link continued, "Hyrule is far from safe. Your father is right to stay."

"But you're going, aren't you?"

Link shifted his weight to his other foot and scratched the back of his neck.

"I don't want to go," he confessed, "but there's no reason for me to stay. And since the Princess sent those fancy messengers, I think she wants me especially to be there."

"Well of course she does," Uli said. "You saved her kingdom! She'll probably reward you, maybe she'll make you a Knight!"

"Now I really want to go," Link mumbled sarcastically.

"Why don't you want to go?" Colin peered up at him intensely. "Is it because you're sick?"

Link snapped.

"If you want to see the Princess so bad, why don't you go meet her yourself?"

Colin recoiled, then suddenly an idea lit behind his eyes.

"Oh could I?"

He turned on his father excitedly.

"Can I go to the ball with Link, dad?" he asked. "I know how to ride now, and Link would be with me the whole way so I would be safe. And I could meet all your friends and see Mr. Renado again and it would be such an adventure!"

Rusl and Uli glanced at each other. Colin turned his attention back to Link.

"I wouldn't be a bother, honestly! Please say I can go!" Link had never seen Colin so excited. His blue eyes shone out from his face like two Zora sapphires. And to his surprise, he found himself nodding.

"I don't see a reason why not," Rusl said carefully, "since Link is there to watch you. I think it would be good for you, son."

And just like that, the matter was settled.

* * *

To be continued! 


	8. Chapter 8

**Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin**

_By Frodo Silverlune_ Note: Finally! Golly, I've been trying to upload this chapter since Wednesday! Anyways...Hyrule is bigger than in the game. So it will take them longer to get places.

**Chapter 8**

* * *

The day came all too soon. Colin and Link said their goodbyes to the village and set off early in the morning one week before the ball. As they rode side-by-side through the dappled emerald shade of Ordona province, Link wondered if taking Colin along would somehow turn into unforeseen disaster. Innocent beginnings seemed to do that to him. Once again he scanned the foliage around the road, ears pricked for any signs of danger. 

"Do you always do that?" Colin asked as Link settled back into the saddle.

"What?"

"Look around so much."

"I don't know. Maybe." He'd never thought of it before.

"What are you looking for?"

Link turned to Colin in surprise.

"What am I looking for? Danger. Hidden enemies."

"How can you see them if they're hidden?"

"I look for clues."

"What clues?"

Link pointed towards the branches arching above their heads.

"Nothing in nature grows in a straight line. Everything is twisted, curved, warped. I look for lines that may indicate traps set in the forest."

Colin's blue eyes grew wide.

"Traps? Do the goblins set them?"

Link nodded.

"Most of the time. Usually the traps are empty, but sometimes I come across something."

"Dead?"

Link nodded again. Suddenly he reached across the space between their two horses and grabbed Colin's reigns, jerking his mount to a stop.

"Back," he urged Epona. Obediently the mare began backing up, Sabre at her side. Link brought the horses to a halt and motioned for Colin to dismount. Carefully he led the boy to the right side of the road and knelt down, pointing with a half-gloved finger to a nearly invisible string stretching across the path.

"I couldn't have asked for a better demonstration," he commented. "Stand back."

Colin stood by the horses as Link drew his sword and nudged the string from a distance. Instantaneously a thick overhead branch crashed onto the road where they would have been standing, followed by a downpour of fist-sized boulders that bounced off the log and landed in an unsteady pile strewn across the path. Sabre snorted and danced in fright. Epona's ears merely flickered as she turned her head and touched the gelding nose to nose.

Link sheathed his sword and scanned the branches overhead.

"See Colin?" He said, pointing. "They cut that branch off the tree and stuck it right back up there like it had never been touched."

Colin followed Link's gaze to a broken net concealed in vines and leaves. To the casual traveler, it looked like a cluster of mistletoe. He turned to Link in amazement.

"How did you see it?"

Link shrugged.

"Instincts, I guess." Colin ran over to help him drag the branch out of the road. "You can't look for one thing in particular, like a string on the road." The pair pushed the log into the bushes and began picking up rocks and tossing them aside. "After seeing so many traps I guess I just know when they're coming."

"Did you ever get caught in one?" Colin asked as he threw the last rock into the forest.

Link nodded vigorously.

"Oh yes."

"How did you escape? Were they all like this?"

"Most of them depend on the landscape," Link explained as he remounted his horse. "Despite what most people think, moblins are terribly clever."

"They are," Colin agreed solemnly, and the two proceeded on.

* * *

That night Link and Colin camped amongst the glow of fairies on the banks of Faron Spring. After a hearty breakfast of Uli's bread, fruit and goat cheese they began their second day of riding. Link was impressed that Colin did not complain about being saddle-sore, though it was obvious from his stiff movements that he was in no little pain. Perhaps the lad was made of tougher stuff than his boyish appearance indicated. 

They came out of the forest around noon, the lush landscape of Hyrule's fields unfolding before them. Gently rolling amber hills dotted with old trees and gray granite deposits created a more open country- for ranchers and moblins alike. Faron province was re-populating itself after the invasion. Ambitious ranchers were moving again into the region, dispersed by the short but devastating war, bringing with them their flocks and herds of sheep, cattle, goats, and horses. The lad was too stony for farming here.

As Link and Colin rounded a small hill they came upon two men raising a split-rail fence. They had already completed most of it; the unseasoned wood stretched along the road behind them.

"Good morning," Link greeted cordially as the pair rode past. The two men nodded in return, staring. One of the men jabbed the other (they looked like brothers) and he spoke up.

"Hey, are you the Hero?"

Link blushed and ducked his head awkwardly.

"No, sorry."

Colin looked at him strangely.

"Yes you are…"

"Hush, Colin."

"Are you or aren't you? You're wearin them green clothes everyone says he wears." The ranchers were peering at him quizzically.

"Uh, yeah, well, have a good day!" Link spurred Epona into a fast trot and took off down the road. Eventually Colin caught up with him and they slowed to a walk.

"Why did you say you weren't the Hero?"

Link took off his hat and tucked it into his saddle bag.

"I don't want the attention," he said, looking straight ahead where the road passed in between two hills.

"Why don't you want people to know you're the Hero?" Colin urged his mount to stay even with Epona's head.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about," he tried. "I had help."

"Really? Who helped you?"

"Didn't your father tell you he and his friends rescued me from an ambush at the palace?"

"Yes, but what about when you went to the Gorons? And the Zoras? And all the other places?"

"I had help there, too."

"Who…"

Colin's question was cut short by a delicate ringing in the air. They had come to the pass between the hills and as they drew closer, the ringing, like miniature golden bells, grew louder.

"What's that?" Colin swiveled his head around in all directions, looking for the source of the sound. Link smiled to himself and pulled Epona to a halt.

"A golden bug," he answered, dismounting. Colin dropped to the ground beside him and began searching the ground.

"A golden bug?" he asked in awe. Link nodded and put a finger to his lips to indicate silence, then pointed to his ear. Colin understood, and the two followed the sound until it lead them to a lone tree standing off the road. There on the trunk a few feet off the ground perched a large stag beetle, glowing a warm golden color. Link smiled and pointed to it and Colin grinned back. Carefully he crept closer to the bug, hands outstretched to pounce when all of a sudden the wind changed and the beetle launched itself into the air, golden wings fluttering as it flew a short distance and landed among a cluster of tall grass.

Link leaned against the tree and folded his arms across his chest, watching with amusement as Colin stalked the bug around in circles before finally catching it and holding it in his hands, grinning.

"Congratulations," Link said. "You've just earned one hundred rupees."

Colin's eyes grew big and he cradled his cupped hands.

"One hundred rupees?!"

Link drew a small brown box out of one of his pouches and opened it, allowing Colin to place the beetle carefully inside. The box then disappeared back into the pouch. Colin blinked.

"How did you fit that box in such a small pouch?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Link put one foot in Epona's stirrup, gave a little hop and mounted gracefully. "Tricks of the trade," he said as Colin mounted Sabre. "This hero's clothing came with magic pouches. Maybe later I'll show you some of the weapons in them."

"Thanks."

They rode in silence for a while until Colin piped up again.

"Link, are there more golden bugs?"

Link nodded.

"In Castle Town I met a girl about your age who calls herself Princess Agitha. She collects bugs and pretends she's the princess of the insect kingdom. Apparently she's holding a ball and doesn't have enough bugs, so she pays me to collect them for her."

Colin nodded. Link continued.

"She claims there are twenty-four bugs. Thanks to the beetle you just found, she now will have eighteen. When we reach the castle I'll take you to visit her."

"Is she pretty?"

Link turned and stared at Colin in surprise.

"Pretty? Wha…" he stopped as Colin blushed.

'_He _is_ almost thirteen. I guess he's coming of age…'_

"Yeah, she's pretty."

"I don't really care if she's pretty or not," Colin said suddenly. Somehow Link doubted that.

* * *

To be continued! 


	9. Chapter 9

**Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin**

_By Frodo Silverlune_ Note: I try to keep things 'period correct,' but in the game they were saying 'okay' which is twentieth-century slang, but hey. Its in the game. Sorry about the delay in updating. My account's been acting up... But I should have more time to be writing now. So I will try to update faster.

**Chapter 9

* * *

**

As evening stretched over the land on Link and Colin's fourth day of travel, the outermost gates of Castle Town yawned open at the end of their road. Other travelers were arriving as well, coming from different directions but all converging into a noisy throng at the first arched portcullis. An large inn and boarding stable had been rebuilt at the southern gate, allowing visitors to lodge their horses and carriages in a safe place whilst inside the town.

Colin had never seen so many people in his life. Link pushed through the crowd and led Epona over the bridge into the city. Colin gaped as they passed stalls piled high with bright fruit and vegetables, poultry and fish- their sellers packing their produce away for the night.

"Do you remember Telma?" Link asked, steering Colin down a busy side street- the southeastern thoroughfare of the town. A ten-man company of soldiers paraded past dressed in the sturdy chain mail armor of the Hylian guard, their spears glinting orange in the setting sun as it fell through cluttered roof peaks onto dirty cobblestones.

"Yes."

"Good. We'll see her as soon as..."

"Hoy there!" A boy jumped up from sitting in front of a doorway. Above his head hung a sign painted with a red rose. "Need a room for the night? Our beds are clean and we've got stables for your horses…hey! I know you!"

The boy, no older than Colin ran up to Link and grabbed his hand, shaking it energetically while grinning from ear to ear. Colin noticed that beneath a shock of dirty brown, wild hair he was missing some teeth.

"Remember me? I used to shine shoes out in front of that prissy shop!"

"Yes, I do," Link replied, freeing his hand. "I suppose we'll take your offer." The boy eagerly snatched up Epona's reigns.

"Moved up in the world, I did. Got me a job at the Red Rose." The boy continued talking as he led them through a narrow alleyway into a hay-strewn courtyard at the back of the inn, scattering a flock of cuccos into nine squawking directions. "This sure is a fine horse you got, mister. Don't worry. I'll take extra good care of her. Hey, who's that?" His emerald green eyes flashed for the first time towards Colin.

"This is my friend," Link explained. "He's traveling with me."

The two boys eyed each other warily and nodded in acknowledgement. Slowly the shoe-shine boy reached out and took Sabre's reigns.

"Well, I'll take care of this fella too. Give 'em both a nice rub down and some alfalfa. You want oats? They don't cost much extra."

"Yes please," Link said, unfastening a saddlebag before turning to leave. "Give plenty of oats, as much as she wants. The gelding too."

"All right, mister…what's your name?"

"Link."

"Sure thing, Mister Link. Plenty of oats. Y'all tell Mrs. Rosie I sent you, okay?"

"All right."

Link and Colin ducked out of the courtyard and went back to the main street, passing through a group of shabby boys crowding around the courtyard gate like the cuccos a moment before. Colin rubbed his stomach as it rumbled noisily beneath his layered wraps of clothing.

"I'm sure hungry," he announced as Link opened the inn's front door and they stepped inside.

The Red Rose inn was crowded but clean. It held none of the smoky tension of a pub as modestly-dressed maids scurried around, large serving plates held high above their heads. Supper was being served to the two-dozen patrons of all ages seated around the common room at individual tables. A mother led two young children past Link with a polite "Excuse me."

Link was satisfied. Colin should be safe here.

A middle-aged woman with hair falling out of a bun and a clean white apron over her dress approached them smiling.

"Welcome to the Red Rose! I'm Mrs. Rosie, can I get you both a room for tonight?"

"Yes please," Link nodded. "We left our horses with the boy out front. He said to mention him to you."

Mrs. Rosie's smile disappeared, replaced by a look of concern.

"He didn't bother you, did he? He has a tendency to talk too much."

"Not at all. He was most helpful."

She sighed in relief.

"I'm glad. Well then, we still have a few rooms available to choose from. As you can see the Princess' ball has brought in a crowd, but we're not full yet. You came just in time." As she spoke, Mrs. Rosie led the pair up a flight of stairs at the back of the room.

Suddenly, as they reached the top of the stairs Link came face to face with a mirror image of himself.

Everyone froze as the two Links surveyed each other in astonishment. After a minute, the other Link sighed and shook his head in disappointment.

"Aw, I thought I was the only one with this idea."

His voice was rougher, but everything: the green hero's clothing, blonde hair, even the sword strapped across his back were identical. Yet his face was different. Although the features were strikingly similar, there was pride in the way he tilted his chin, an arrogant, haughty spark in his eyes.

"Who are you?" Link asked increduously. "Why do you look like me?"

"What?" The other Link raised a perfect eyebrow. "You mean the Hero, right? Well, it seems I'm not the only one who thought it would be a good idea to play Hero for a while. But now you have to spoil all the fun," he grumbled.

"What? You…you're dressing up like me…to pretend to be the Hero?!"

The imposter rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Mr. Obvious. Excuse me, I have an engagement."

"No."

Link planted himself firmly on the landing, crossing his arms over his chest. A hard gleam iced over his blue eyes.

"I can't let you leave without telling me why you're doing this."

"What?"

Colin edged away from the tense pair, backing up along the second floor to a safe distance, holding his breath.

"Gentlemen, please," Mrs. Rosie spoke from the steps. "If there is a problem, would you take it outside?"

Link nodded.

"I don't know who you are," he said, "but this is no place for…"

"For what? A fight?" The imposter cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, grinning. "Are you that eager to get whipped?"

"Link…" warned Colin. Link continued staring at the stranger.

"Where did you get all that?" he asked. "Did you change your face to match mine?"

"Did you really think I'd tell you?"

Link shrugged and stepped away from the landing.

"It doesn't really matter. You can't prove you're the Hero."

"No more than you can."

Link froze and clenched his fist. He awfully wanted to teach the fool a lesson. But there would be a better time.

"Ha!" The fake Link laughed in triumph and strutted down the stairs.

'I can't let him wander around pretending to be me! What will he do to people? What would he say? What if people give him access to things…this could be dangerous.'

No. This had to be stopped.

Link ran quickly down the stairs and caught up with the stranger as he was leaving the inn.

"Stop," he said. The imposter turned, smiling.

"So you want to solve this?"

"Show me your hand."

"What?"

Link pointed to the back of his hand.

"I don't need to show you my hand," the stranger said. "After all, there's nothing to show."

"Then you're not the hero. Don't you know what the hero carries?"

"This is ridiculous." The imposter drew his sword and fell into a dramatic fighting stance, slinging his shield across his left arm. A crowd had begun to gather around the two, forming a circle of anticipation. Link eased his shield onto his own arm, leaving his sword sheathed.

"The hero would never draw his sword in a setting such as this."

"You're a coward." The imposter lunged lightly forward with his sword, which Link deftly sidestepped.

"Tell me why you're doing this," Link said calmly. The two circled each other warily.

"This person is masquerading as me!" The stranger suddenly shouted out to the audience. "He's pretending to be the Hero to play on the good graces of the citizens of Castle Town!"

Link shook his head in amazement.

'_Finish this.'_

"Tell me, what does the Hero carry?"

"A sword!" Someone shouted from the audience. "A shield!" "Bombs!" "Arrows!"

"The Triforce of Courage." Colin stood quietly at the edge of the crowd.

Suddenly the stranger attacked, sweeping his sword horizontally towards Link's stomach. The crowd gasped as Link gracefully flipped backwards and instantly jumped forward again, butting his shield into the exposed side of his adversary. The stranger staggered back, grunting and Link used the opportunity to grab his wrist and twist the sword out of his hand. It fell to the stones with a loud clang. Colin suddenly dashed forward, grabbed the handle and gave it back to Link who pointed it steadily at the throat of the imposter, a golden triangle radiating from his gloved hand.

The crowd broke into applause.

"He's the Hero!"

"You showed him!"

The stranger cursed, glaring at Link with hatred.

"You haven't seen the end of me," he panted, then turned and pushed his way through the crowd.

Link held the sword up in the fading light, inspecting the craftsmanship. It was a common enough design. Simple and functional, the blade was a decent length, double-edged with a moon-shaped curved hilt. The black leather grip was tight and well-used, tapering down to a sapphire set in the steel pommel.

"A nice sword," he commented to Colin. "Well made. It's yours."

"Really?!" Colin's face lit up among the dispersing crowd.

"As soon as you're strong enough to handle it."

Link opened a pouch, touched the handle to the leather and it shrunk in his hand to the size of his littlest finger. Dropping it in, it clinked against the metal of other weapons. He smiled at Colin.

"Didn't you say something about dinner?"

* * *

_To be continued!_


	10. Chapter 10

**The Quest of Colin**

Note: This chapter is spruced up from the original submission, slightly a do-over. Don't worry, though, there aren't any major changes to the plot or structure. If you read (in the past) the original chapter 10, I had a brief moment of frustration in which I popped into the story. That's gone now. It was unnecessary. Enjoy the new version! -FS

**Chapter 10**

Link woke early the next morning to a morning dove cooing blissfully outside his window.

Coo oo hoo, hoo hoo! Coo oo hoo, hoo hoo!

'_Stupid bird.'_

He rolled over and flattened the pillow against his ears.

Coo oo hoo, hoo hoo!

'_Somebody shoot the darn thing.'_

Next to him Colin shifted in his sleep and pulled the blankets tighter around himself.

Coo oo hoo, hoo hoo!

Grumbling to himself, Link rolled out of bed and stumbled to the window, easing open one of the shutters and peering out into the alleyway. Their window faced west, away from the rising sun just beginning to brighten the stone-tiled roof directly across from them. Down below a milkman leaned over somebody's doorstep, deftly traded empty bottles for full and placed the old crate in the back of his cart, rolling on down the alleyway to the next doorstep.

Coo oo hoo, hoo hoo!

There she was, scaly pink toes clinging onto the roof tiles of the house across the alley, ruffling her feathers in the cool morning air, black, beady little eyes wondering why her performance was interuppted.

Link reached outside the window, picked a chunk of peeling plaster off the outside of the inn and threw.

The plaster hit the roof just beside the dove and bounced off, sending the bird fluttering away in panic, a trail of confused warbling in her wake.

Satisfied, Link ducked back inside the room and closed the shutter. What would they do today? The ball wasn't until tomorrow. They'd made good time on the journey to Castle Town, and now had a whole day to explore the city. Or rather, for Colin to enjoy the city. Link was already familiar enough with its attractions and peculiarities.

'_Of course we'll visit Malo and his family, Agitha, Telma. I wonder if I can get into Jovani's house normally yet? Too bad I haven't found all his Poes…'_

As Link dressed, he felt guilty for leaving poor Jovani golden. He hadn't meant to, but how was he to know what would happen after Ganondorf? If only there was a way to kill them without turning into a wolf, he thought. Perhaps Auru might know. Yes. He would go speak with them today.

"Good morning."

Link looked up from strapping his boot and nodded at Colin. The boy yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" Link asked, pulling on his other boot.

"Yeah. Until a bird woke me up."

Link grinned and fastened the last buckle, securing his boot to his leg.

"She woke me up too."

Colin climbed out of bed and padded over to the washstand, splashing water on his face.

"I guess you'll want to see the town," Link hinted as he slipped the chain mail shirt over his head, the links rippling and quivering like water.

"Oh yes, I do. But why are you putting that on? Aren't we safe here?"

Link fingered the cool metal rings at the hem of the armor.

"I've learned to be prepared for anything," he said after a pause. "Did you know this shirt is magical too?"

"Like the pouches?"

"Yes. So far, nothing's been able to penetrate it."

"Really?!" Colin came over and reverently touched the cold sleeve. "It doesn't feel magical."

Link shrugged and shook out the green tunic.

"It has to be. Anything short of magic would have broken long long ago, before I even reached Kakriko and found you guys."

Colin's eyes grew wide and he swallowed.

"They would have killed you?"

Link chuckled lightly.

"Come, let's go see the town."

* * *

"Your highness, the Hero has arrived."

Princess Zelda looked up from her book and regarded the messenger in the doorway with interest.

"Is that so?"

The young page nodded politely, dipping his curly black head.

"He's waiting in your outer chamber."

Zelda placed a ribbon in her book to mark the page and rose gracefully, setting the book on the couch she'd been reclining in.

"Thank you. I'll meet him in a moment."

The page bowed and backed away to leave, yet before he placed a pale hand on the door it opened and in blustered the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Red-faced and flushed, he dropped a quick bow and spoke.

"Your majesty, the Ambassadors to Termina have just arrived and are most insistent on an immediate conference with Your Highness."

Zelda sighed inwardly and nodded. The old Ambassadors' carriage had probably gotten stuck in the mud. She could already hear them raving about the inferiority of Hyrule's roads, the lack of proper respect for Officials…politics were so predictable sometimes! The Hero- oh dear, what was his name- would just have to wait.

* * *

"Golly, Link, this room is bigger than my whole house! Plus your house! Plus Talo's house! Bigger than the whole village!"

Colin stepped delicately around their room in the castle, admiring at once the intricately curved columns arching overhead and the ornately embroidered forest-green mantle draped over the tall bed. They'd been offered a chamber in the castle for convenience, apparently a common practice among Hyrule's elite. Link hadn't known.

"Is it safe to sleep in?" Colin worried, brushing a finger along the fine fabric gingerly. "I won't tear it, will I?"

Link was watching creamy thin curtains waft lazily in the breeze drifting through open doors leading out to a stone balcony. Artfully, roses climbed discreetly over the carved stone balustrade, their tiny white faces blushing in his direction. He glanced away from the too-peaceful setting and turned his attention to Colin.

Already the boy had discovered the room and was eager to explore the rest of the castle.

"Let's go see the training grounds!" Colin practically dragged him out of the room, blonde hair bouncing as he skipped ahead of the slower adult. "And the library! And maybe we can even go swimming!"

As Link attempted to walk down the hall, the pair passed other guests and dignitaries touring the castle as well, most of them lifting their chins and becoming suddenly interested in the tapestries as the two commoners hurried by.

'_I'm not another insignificant peasant,'_ his traitorous pride protested. Abashed at the unwelcome thought, he spent the next hour contemplating the various attitudes of humility verses the enormity of reality. As Colin's fingers itched at the pristine archery range and his jaw dropped at the towering shelves of books in the library, Link battled within himself to find the correct attitude a hero should have.

'_Forget it,'_ he finally gave up. _'You over-analyze things too much. Who cares if you are treated like a hero? You are one. You saved the world! Doesn't that deserve a little something?'_

"Augh!" He grunted in frustration. "No."

'_Maybe it does deserve a little something, but that doesn't mean you take advantage of it. Don't get so proud you trip over your own nose! Remember, you had help.'_

"What?"

Colin stopped in his tracks, forcing Link to realize they stood outside near a set of double doors leading to a courtyard.

"Why can't we go inside?"

"I'm sorry, I was talking to myself. I didn't hear your question."

Colin peered up at Link in concern.

"Link, I'm not so sure you're fine."

The question caught the Hero totally off guard.

"What?"

"Well," began Colin carefully, "you just…seem really sad. And distracted. And do you remember the party Bo gave you the night you came back? You two were wrestling, but he kept beating you, and then you turned white and ran out of the house."

"Oh," Link mumbled, fidgeting with his belt. "You remember that?"

Colin nodded, waiting for an explanation. How old _was_ he? He seemed like an adult, patiently enduring the silence of not knowing, wide blue eyes soft and wise against his round, open face. He was growing, though. The innocence was vanishing with the years, as age and adolescence began to sharpen his cheekbones and dispel the last vestiges of childish softness. His limbs were lengthening. Soon he would find himself tripping over his own feet and his stammered apology would crack. Growing up.

"I remember a lot of things," he commented, then blushed and became intensely interested in the stone walkway's pattern. Suddenly he changed the subject.

"Do you have anything to wear to the ball?"

Link hadn't thought about that, either.

"Uh, besides this?" He gestured to his hero's clothing. Colin eyed it distastefully.

"That would be okay if you were going to a corn husking," he advised, then added quickly "Ilia told me to say that."

"I guess I should get something," Link chuckled, then narrowed his eyes mischievously. "Maybe we can find a nice dress for you too."

Colin laughed, eyes sparkling with more than just mirth at the joke. It looked like relief.

'_Does he really worry that much about me?'_

"You'll have to pick it out, though," he retorted teasingly.

Link turned and started back the way they'd come. Had it always felt this good to put a smile on Colin's face? This was the way he used to be, wasn't it? It had been so long- a lifetime ago. He wanted to keep putting smiles on Colin's face. Was this what it was like to have a little brother?

The soft patter of feet running to catch up warmed something inside, a stirring he hadn't felt for a long, long time.

"How do you like pink?" he offered, and Colin screwed up his face. Link laughed and tousled the boy's straight, thin hair, troubles forgotten for a brief second.

It was a moment, a nostalgic, golden capsule of time that he would remember.

* * *

To be continued!

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

**Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin**

* * *

_Smack!_

The sharp crack of flesh striking flesh shattered icy air in the stone-walled room. A young man garbed in green recoiled with the force of the blow, yellow bangs quivering ashamedly.

"Fool!"

Stepping out of the shadows cast by a lone torch bracketed on the wall, a deep-throated figure grabbed the front of the young man's forest-colored tunic and shook him to his bones.

"Idiot! You weren't supposed to let him see you!"

"I didn't know he was going to be there," protested the youth. The cloaked man raised his fist as if to strike him again. The youth cringed.

"After all these weeks, do you want to spoil the whole Plan before it's time? Do you realize how much counts on you? Or are you as stupid as your father was?"

The young man shook his head, blue eyes blazing. Releasing him with a harsh shove, the older man flicked him away.

"I can do it," 'Link' assured, straightening himself. "He has a boy with him. I can use the boy…"

"Who cares about a stupid boy?" The Leader jabbed a thin, white finger towards his understudy. "_I _make the plans. _I_ make the decisions. Obey my orders and nothing else!"

"Fine," the 'Hero' grumbled.

Suddenly a blaze of red light shot from the Leader into the young man. He shrieked and convulsed, collapsing on the floor in a twitching heap.

"'Yes, master,'" the magician corrected. Whimpers echoed throughout the stone chamber, deep within the bowels of the castle. Robes swishing behind him, the Leader swept over the trembling figure.

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Link was nervous. No. 'Nervous' didn't even come close. 'Anxious?' 'Terrified,' even? The worst part was that Colin knew. He couldn't hide anything from that boy, it seemed.

'_Something is going to happen tonight.'_

Dread.

"Link, we don't have to go."

'_If I don't go…if I let this, this fear conquer me…no!'_

'_But I can't. I just can't.'_

"I must."

With Colin at his side, they stood in line waiting to enter the castle. All around them floated nobles, princes, dignitaries far and wide- all shimmering silk and dazzling jewels. Not only humans had been invited, but Zoras and Gorons as well.

"j)x#!// 'l q(j?"

The Occoco had arrived.

Startled gasps rippled through the crowd as five of the strange birds fluttered down from the darkening sky. With a bounce and ruffle of feathers they landed and smiled.

"Hello traveler!"

Link couldn't help but smile.

"I'm glad you made it," he answered Mrs. Cluck, as he called her.

"My goodness, that was an exhilarating ride! But don't let me keep you from the party!" She waddled off to join her companions as they made their way to the end of the line.

"They talk?" Colin asked incredulously. "And you know them?!"

Link opened his mouth to explain.

"It's a long story, but…"

"Link!"

A red-haired bespectacled youth skidded to a stop in front of him, breathless and panting.

"I saw them! The legendary beings! They're…they're_ here_!"

"Hello Shad."

"They're here and they _talked_ to you. Which means you know them, therefore you _knew_ them and you never told me!"

"Er, I meant to tell you."

Shad waved him off.

"Never mind, we'll discuss it later. I must go find them. Hello Colin."

"Hello Shad."

Shad waved and set off, bent over double searching the ground through the crowd of legs and skirts. Link chuckled to himself then stopped.

They were entering the palace. Anxiety rumbled in his chest as they passed through the massive carved doors, a short, lush carpeted hallway lined with statue-like armored guards and into the grand foyer.

Not much had changed since Link had been here last. Certainly the huge reception chamber was much more impressive with all the chandeliers lit, banners draped regally from the balconies and of course, the presence of hundreds of bodies infusing stone walls with life. Zelda had certainly cleaned up the place, he thought, staring at his reflection on the polished black-and-white checkered floor.

"Be careful you don't get an ache in your neck," he warned Colin as the boy gawked at the elegant arched ceiling towering overhead.

"Won't those fall down?" he asked, pointing to the chandeliers.

"Oh no, they're quite safe," Link assured him with a smile. Colin wondered how he knew that but decided not to ask. Link wasn't feeling well. He was nervous. Colin wondered why.

Shyly Colin stayed attached to Link's elbow as strange people came up and greeted him like they were the best of friends. They all seemed to have a gleam of respect in their eyes though, Colin noticed with pride. Even though Link knew all these people, he still came home to Ordon. He still paid attention to insignificant peasants like him.

"You have no idea," Colin wanted to tell them. "Even though he might have done good things for you, you have no idea how golden he really is."

Link was starting to relax a bit. Yes, he was surrounded by a horrific number of people. Yes he couldn't turn around without someone wanting to thank him, greet him, shake his hand, but somehow it was becoming easier to swallow his anxiety.

"Young hero!"

He turned to the next familiar voice and recognized the old priest he had given money to in Castle Town.

"Hello sir," Link bowed. The priest shook his hand with a smile of gratitude.

"Thank you to young man our land is free of evil! May I introduce you to my niece, the daughter of Lord Chagny."

A goddess materialized in front of him.

Green eyes flashed demurely beneath thick lashes as she curtsied gracefully, emerald silk dress rippling sensually in the light.

"My Lord." Jet black ringlets dropped onto full alabaster breasts, and the faint aroma of water lilies just brushed his senses. He couldn't help but stare.

"Enchanted, my Lady," he finally breathed, bowing. She smiled modestly, extending her hand oh so delicately for him to kiss. He was afraid. Would he break it?

Her gloved fingers were cool and yielding beneath his lips. Heat flushed through his body.

"Who is your escort?" Link asked. Her rose-colored lips fell.

"My uncle was hoping you would introduce me to one," she said. "My escort became ill this morning."

'_Too bad.'_

"I think I can do that."

"Thank you, my Lord," she smiled, accepting Link's offer. Her voice, low and pure flowed over him and through him like a warm white mist.

She placed her hand on his arm. With the crowd they were swept into the banquet hall.

This would be a night to remember.

* * *

To be continued! Thank you to everyone who reviewed!!


	12. Chapter 12

**Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin**

Disclaimer: Me no own Zelda.

Enjoy! Sorry it took a bit longer to update this time...stuff. Busy. blah blah FS

Chapter 12

* * *

"Who's that?"

Colin plucked at Link's elbow and was surprised to have him actually acknowledge him this time.

"What? Who?"

Colin pointed across the banqueting hall to a petite pretty girl laughing at something the guest next to her whispered in her ear.

The Princess' banquet was due to become a new legend. The long, arching Great Hall was full to the rafters with the contented swell of humanity (Zora and Goron included). Along both sides of the stretched chamber, long linen-draped tables groaned under their steaming, smoking, jiggling burdens as uniformed servants rushed frantically to and fro with now-empty, now-full platters. Colors blossomed everywhere: from soft, pearly blues to rich, striking oranges. The noble class once again went to extremes to out-shine each other, and it was among these Link and Colin had found their places set, almost next to Princess Zelda herself.

Of the Princess' beauty none of the most exquisite jewels in the kingdom could compare. Clothed in the purest white and adorned with oh-so-subtle diamonds dotted like stars in her pinned and curled hair, she was the picture of grace and innocence- but not so naïve as though the sheer fabric of her dress could not conceal the perfect curves of her figure.

Colin was surprised Link's attention was still riveted on the emerald beauty at his side rather than the Princess. Zelda had seemed rather disappointed in the two seconds she had greeted them. But now Colin understood a bit.

"That's Princess Agitha," Link said off-handedly and went back to his conversation with the lady.

"Princess Agitha," Colin whispered to himself under his breath. She was a bit of heaven on earth. Curly hair seemed to be fashionable, and she certainly hadn't spared any expense on her own- the top of her head seemed to erupt ringlets like a waterfall. Her dress was pink and frilly, but it was her eyes- those delightful, shining eyes that suddenly locked into his.

Colin turned the shade of red boar on his plate and he sawed vigorously at his dinner, mortified. The next time he dared a glance up she was watching him with a smile. Colin's stomach turned upside down, yet he managed to crack a small grin.

She laughed and Colin felt himself float away on clouds of bliss.

* * *

"Come. We can watch the fireworks best from the garden." 

Swept along without protest, Link followed his goddess as she strolled casually into the castle garden's hedge maze. If he'd been paying more attention he would have noticed a bronze plaque's inscription by the entrance:

_Enter lovers: ye beware_

_snares of passion_

_linger here._

_Caution fancy! Lust today_

_will ere tomorrow_

_flown away. _

"What's it like, being a hero?"

She gazed up at him innocently, lights flickering in her eyes, reflecting the firelight from ground torches planted sparsely amid the mazes' twists and turns. Her arm rested securely in his- silk against silk. Someone had given him a generous present: a complete pale green and beige embroidered outfit for the ball. He'd worried about its durability, but supposed multiple abrasions, mud, monster blood and ash didn't concern nobility.

"It's very different from your life," he said quietly, musing. Their feet crunched on shell gravel as further into the maze they wandered.

"Tell me about it."

"What do you want to know? There so much."

She paused for a minute then answered.

"You must have seen horrible things. Terrible things. But did you ever encounter your greatest fear?"

"My greatest fear?" Terrifying monsters cycled through his mind: blood, destruction, death- all by his hand. When had he been most afraid?

"Yes, I suppose I did," he answered, and fell quiet. She touched his arm gently.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No. I need to talk about these things I guess." Still, he found it hard to continue.

"You can trust me," she said quietly. Link found his shell cracking, splitting- beginning to creak slowly open to reveal the throbbing bleeding wound inside.

"Ilia…" he whispered through a tight throat. "Colin. The kids. People I love being hurt…not being able to help them…being powerless…"

His throat blocked any further words as he fought to keep tears from spilling over.

"And when she didn't recognize me, after all I'd done to save her…"

The emerald goddess peered up into his eyes, her own glistening with tears.

"Oh Link…"

Her white hand, ungloved reached up and tenderly stroked his cheek.

"How you must have suffered so."

Her feather touch melted away any resistance he had left. Against all instinct he threw caution to the wind.

"This Ilia, do you love her?"

The question came as a surprise.

"I do, at least, I did."

"Did you ever tell her?"

"No. I never did."

She moved closer.

"Women like to be told they are loved," she said in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper. "Women like me."

Heart, stomach, mind all whirling racing flipping over and over each other.

"And how do they like to be told?" His voice was husky and uncontrolled. Every feature of her beautiful, delicate face seemed heightened and sensual. She smiled.

"With a kiss."

Her hand snaked up behind his neck and ever so gently she pulled his head down to her height and touched his lips to her own.

'_Yes!'_

His being responded with exhilarating, intoxicating passion. He pulled her closer to himself and melted into her embrace, feeling strength rushing unhindered through every organ in his body.

Water lilies enveloped, overpowered him, fireworks exploded overhead.

And then, in the deepest darkest part of the maze, he tasted something strange.

Abruptly he pulled away. Something was wrong.

"What is it?" She asked.

Her kiss had left a bitter, salty taste in his mouth- something familiar and dangerous. What was it? Frowning, he turned to make his way back when suddenly it hit.

Pain. Squeezing, crushing pain gripped his lungs, cutting off air.

Startled and panting, he squinted pleadingly at the lady. She was smiling.

"Good luck, hero," she sneered victoriously, and with a high cruel laugh vanished down the path.

Success.

The Hero had been poisoned.

* * *

To be continued!! And thank you to everybody who reviewed!! 


	13. Chapter 13

**The Quest of Colin**

**Chapter 13

* * *

**

'_Idiot!'_

Mentally Link cursed himself by everything under and above the sky. Fool! To have been tricked so easily!

The muscles in his lungs eased their death grip and sweet, pure air flooded into his body. Panting, he glanced around. Which way to go? Which way had they come from? For once he hadn't been paying attention and now due to the poison's effects was unable to think clearly.

Dizzy.

He stumbled forward, determined to find a way out. But would he last long enough?

Bright flashes lit the stone path from the fireworks overhead. Blue, now red, now orange. He rubbed a hand across his eyes, trying to clear the dots from his vision.

Around one corner, down a passageway, past two, three twists and turns. Why hadn't anyone marked the way out?

Another spasm suddenly contracted his lungs. He dropped to his knees, frantically gaping for air. And it stopped.

The poison was teasing him, playing with his mind.

Why was he even trying to find his way out? To get help? Why did he need help? Why not just let the poison take him away…rest. Rest. Sleep. Stop fighting.

"No!"

'_What do you have to live for?'_

Clutching handfuls of crushed shell, Link pushed himself to his feet.

'_Your destiny is finished. Your purpose is over. What do you have left?'_

Had they come this way? Was he going around in circles?

'_You're lost.'_

"No."

'_Lay down. Give up.'_

His limbs were so heavy. If only he could sleep.

"_Keep going."_

Desperately he staggered on, dark hedges looming on every side.

* * *

Princess Zelda knew something was wrong. On her hand the Triforce was pulsing with a faint golden light. But what did that mean? It had never happened before.

Standing beside her family as they watched the fireworks from a raised dias, she knew she couldn't ignore the warning deep in her chest. But who, or what was in trouble?

"Princess Zelda! Princess!"

Her eyes snapped to those of a young boy being restrained by her guards from approaching her. Worry was etched across his face.

"Link's in trouble! That lady did something to him. He needs your help!"

The Princess rebuked the guards and nodded towards the boy, picking up her skirts to run.

"Where is he?"

"I saw the lady come out of the hedge maze they went into. She had a strange look on her face, like she was happy but in an evil way. Link wasn't with her."

"This is grave news, Colin," she said. "Come. We shall try to find him."

'_If it's not too late.'

* * *

_

He was fading.

Again he collapsed to the ground in agony, unable to think any longer. Instinct ruled his body, screaming at him for help. He was suffocating one minute and gasping for air the next. His heart threatened to jump from his chest. Panic coursed through his veins.

"Help me."

She was running out of time.

Zelda stood still and focused the power of her triforce, sending a out wave of energy seeking the golden light which was Link.

There! A faint echo palpitating in the depths of the garden.

She picked up her skirts again and rushed forward, navigating the twists and turns of the hedge maze, guided by the pull of the triforce of Courage. In her wake streamed a flood of attendants, guards, and couriers alerted to the new emergency. Colin followed anxiously at her elbow avoiding the billowing of her skirts as she ran on the crushed white shell.

Around one corner, down a passageway, past two dead ends through an archway…the lady had known what she was doing.

Closer! She was closer! Stronger, Link's triforce pulsed with renewed urgency.

And then, suddenly there he was.

"Link!"

Colin dashed forward to the hero. He was fallen on his knees clutching his chest as though unable to breathe. His golden hair had fallen in front of his bowed head, hiding his face, but the trembling of his shoulders and the dry gulps as his body fought for air caused her to rush forward and kneel at his side.

"Link," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "Can you hear me?"

He jerked in response and their eyes locked. Good.

"How did she poison you?"

Suddenly he broke into a fit of coughing, his lungs drawing in air in great gasps.

"…kiss…" he croaked, face buried in his hands.

And then he went still. The bout seemed to have passed. He tried to still his shaking limbs.

Zelda called for a doctor, for when the news had been passed that the hero was in distress many had responded.

A short, elderly man with humongous round spectacles bustled forward and reached down to feel Link's forehead. Suddenly, though, Link cried out and collapsed, his body jerking in spasms of pain.

"Link!" Colin reached for him and grasped his hand. The triforce of Courage blazed with white light.

He was dying.

Zelda knew this as clearly as if someone had spoken to her.

_'Not if I have anything to say about it.'_

The Princess closed her eyes and searched deep within her soul for the Gift she had been given. Ah. Her essence bubbled to the surface as she summoned it, growing and swelling in her chest.

Gently she placed her hand on Link's hot, damp forehead. He was grabbing his chest again, heels digging into the shells, back arched in torture.

She released her gift. Flowing from her soul into his, life. Pure, clean, unadulterated life washed into Link's ravaged body. Black poison vanished when her light touched it, retreating from its target in vain to be obliterated in an instant.

When the last vestiges of darkness had been cleansed from the Hero, Zelda withdrew her essence and opened her eyes.

He was lying still on the ground, unconscious but alive.

Relief flooded the Princess as she withdrew her hand and sank into the arms of her attendants. She was so tired.

As her eyes closed, the last scene she beheld was Colin weeping openly as Link's limp body was lifted onto a stretcher and borne away.

* * *

To be continued! Thank you for all the kind reviews. You are much appreciated! 


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

'_Idiot.'_

Link lay still, listening to the quiet murmurs in the room around him. He didn't want them to know he was awake just yet. He needed time to think, to prepare an eloquent apology for scaring everyone.

'_You knew she wasn't real. She was too perfect to be real. Stupid boy, stupid feelings. You defeated two kings of evil to be shown up by a girl. You're weak.'_

'_No, I made a mistake.'_

'_Nice excuse, but it better not happen again.'_

It wouldn't. He wouldn't be tricked like that again.

A tired sigh breathed somewhere on his left. It sounded familiar. He opened his eyes.

Colin.

He was propped in a chair facing Link's bedside fast asleep, chin resting on his slumped chest. A soft white blanket was tucked around his shoulders.

'That neck will be sore later,' Link thought, concerned. The boy shouldn't be sleeping in a chair, especially at this hour of the night.

Stiffly Link sat up, finding himself dressed in a loose linen nightshift. He glanced around the room. A small group of people were talking quietly in a corner of the small, windowless chamber. They weren't paying much attention to him.

Carefully he eased himself out of bed onto the cold stone floor. Finding himself only slightly dizzy, he stood and bent over Colin, gathering the limp form into his arms. Yet when he tried to pick him up he found himself too weak.

'Rats.'

They'd noticed him. Immediately he was swarmed with arms and admonishments.

"Sir, you shouldn't be up!"

"Let me help you back to bed."

"Are you thirsty, my lord?"

Blushing scarlet, Link tried to protest.

"Colin needs to be in bed."

"Of course sir, right away sir."

"Why don't you lay down now, sir?"

"But Colin…"

"Huh?"

Colin straightened and stretched groggily. A second later he realized what was going on.

"Link! You're awake! Are you feeling better?"

"Yes," he said softly, yielding to the pressure of insistent hands and sitting on the bed. "What about you?"

Colin hid a yawn behind his hand. His eyes shone with relief.

"I was so worried about you," he said, a shiver passing across his countenance. "I mean, you're always so strong." Colin shifted his gaze away in embarrassment. "I guess I never really thought you hurt. Isn't that silly?"

Link couldn't help staring in surprise.

"What…"

'_I shouldn't make him feel too bad. He's only a boy after all.'_

"Uh, well, I do."

There was more truth behind that statement than he wanted to admit.

* * *

A few days later, Colin and Link packed their bags and set out from the castle early in the morning, horses' hooves plodding thickly on wet ground through a gray morning mist.

Colin was disappointed.

"Do we really have to go home?"

Link sighed for the umpteenth time. He didn't really have a good reason for leaving the castle and town. The problem was he'd run out of things to do there. And of course when the mysterious green lady had vanished without a trace there was no doubt in his mind she was part of a larger plan. Something was underfoot and he needed answers.

Or at least he needed to be looking for answers instead of sitting around a fancy castle eating candied pork and getting fat. No, his restless adventuring spirit swept him out of doors into the free open air, the boundless countryside awakening under the quietness of a new golden dawn…

Link breathed deep of the cool earthy air. Ahh…this is what the city was missing. Pure and simple life, growing things, wild untamed freedom. The leather of his saddle squeaked with a damp layer of dew.

"I'm cold."

"Why aren't you wearing your cloak?"

"It's in my saddle bag."

"Well, get it out."

"I can't reach it without leaning over."

"Lean then. If you fall get back up."

Link watched Colin fumble with a bag strapped to the back of his saddle until he managed to emerge with a warm gray woolen cloak, rumpled but dry.

"See, you did it."

Colin shook out the folds and suddenly a crumpled golden mass dropped to the ground, twinkling weakly.

"Oh!" Colin pulled up Sabre and scrambled from the saddle. "Oh no! I killed it!"

Link halted Epona and dismounted, coming around to peer at the dying beetle.

"I meant to give it to Princess Agitha," Colin moaned, watching the golden bug twitch pitifully in the mud. "How am I ever going to find another one?"

Suddenly an idea came to Link's mind.

"We can get another one," he said. Colin turned his gaze from the soon-to-be corpse.

"Really?"

"Yeah. In fact, we could get more than one. We could find the rest of them."

"How many are left?" Colin asked eagerly.

"Eight," Link calculated and pulled out a small folded piece of paper. "Most of them are missing partners I didn't bother to look for," he said as he studied the chart. "Let's see, a mantis, phasmid, dayfly, stag beetle, dragonfly, ladybug, grasshopper, and of course a new beetle to replace…" he waved the chart at the dead bug on the ground. Colin carefully placed a few leaves over it and stood.

"Poor beetle."

He turned an excited face towards Link.

"Really? We can look for all those bugs?"

"It would mean quite a bit of travel," Link cautioned. "We'll be riding all over Hyrule through obscure barren places unsure of what the next day will bring. You'll be sore from sitting in the saddle, tired of eating old bread and tough meat, sleeping on rocky ground and having a marvelous time."

Colin let out a loud whoop of delight and climbed happily into the saddle, face shining through the fog.

"I guess you're not excited," Link mumbled to himself as he mounted Epona, yet he couldn't help a wide grin spreading across his face as he turned the mare in an easterly direction and clicked her into a trot.

* * *

_To be continued!_ Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Just so you know, I'm basing this game's map off the GameCube version. The two are switched opposite, so when I say east it means he's heading towards Lake Hylia and the desert. 


	15. Chapter 15

**The Quest of Colin**

Note: So sorry for the long delay. I was playing video games. First World of Warcraft, then Majora's Mask, now Fire Emblem. But here you are. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And thank you to everybody who has reviewed. I hope this whets your appetite for the adventure yet to come! FS

**Chapter 15

* * *

**

Ever so slowly, the pure golden light of dawn washed over the land, burning through the remnants of last night's fog and illuminating four still figures like silhouettes in the landscape.

Link carefully studied his self-drawn, battered map of Hyrule, angling it in the cold morning air so the golden sunlight would strike the thin leather chart.

"I've figured out our route," he announced to Colin who was still admiring his new ladybug through the thick solid glass of one of Link's bottles.

"You have?"

"Yeah. Put the bug away and I'll show you."

Eagerly Colin dumped the bewildered golden bug into its box and joined Link's side, peering over his shoulder at the map.

"This is where we are now," Link began, placing his finger on an oval space below a square mass of lines which must have been Castle Town. A tiny letter 'B' was drawn in the bottom right of the space indicating a bug had been found there hardly ten minutes ago.

"These are the areas I found the other bugs," he said, pointing to various places across the map, also with B's. "The best route I can come up with is a long one, taking us south to re-capture another beetle, then west along this road to the Hylia Lake Bridge. We'd have to shoot ourselves into the desert and back to get another…"

"Shoot ourselves?!" Colin interrupted in disbelief.

"Yes. With a cannon. I'll explain later. See, our journey would take us north, then to the Zora's Domain. It's really very beautiful there, I think you'll love it. After that we'd travel east until we reached the Eldin Bridge, then south across the plains until we finally come back to Castle Town."

"Wow," Colin breathed. "That's a long way. We'd be traveling in a circle."

"Yes," Link nodded, folding up the map. "It could take us a long time. I'd estimate about a month. What do you say?"

"You'd spend that much time with me?" Colin asked.

"Yeah, of course," Link replied quickly, hoping his smile would banish the boy's doubts. "We'd have to send a letter to your parents and outfit ourselves for the journey of course. But if you don't want to go…"

"Oh Link! Please don't say that. Of course I want to go! I could help you fight off any monsters and you could help me hunt better. I've always wanted to see Hyrule. Oh please, say yes!"

"Ok, yes," Link chuckled, gathering Epona's reigns and hopping lightly into the saddle. The mare snorted and shook her neck, tack jingling, irritated at being interrupted from her grazing. "Then let's go," he said cheerfully.

A sudden ache in his stomach and tightening of his chest flared up as he watched Colin mount his horse…

…_and was shoved sobbing into darkness- shadows of the night. _

_One last backwards glance…helplessness and terror…despair_

_Blood trickled from a cut across his innocent forehead._

"_Go now. Forget me!" Link's own voice, scratched and broken._

_Tears coursing down the boy's dirty face as he turned away and vanished into uncertain survival…_

"Link?"

Link checked Epona into a tight backwards circle, reigns in one hand, unconsciously drawn sword clenched in the other.

"Colin, run! Now!"

"What are you doing? I'm here! What's wrong?"

Almost immediately he realized it had been a vision, nothing more. No enemies, no danger- only Colin staring at him in concern and the frantic beating of his heart.

"What's wrong?"

Slowly Link tried to relax his death-grip on the sword.

"It's nothing. I just thought…I thought you were…I thought I heard something. That's all."

Silence.

Link reluctantly sheathed his sword and turned Epona back towards Castle Town.

"Sorry for scaring you," he apologized.

For a while they rode in awkward silence, Link embarrassed and Colin contemplating how to help in an unobtrusive way.

"Link," he finally began tentatively, "I know you're not feeling well. I want to help somehow…"

"I'm fine."

The old Colin would have scrambled for his shell at the finality of Link's tone, but the boy, it seemed, was growing up.

"I…I know you say that, and I don't want to be rude, but you haven't been yourself since you came back. You've been so sad…and…nervous. And back home it was obvious you weren't sleeping…"

"Colin…"

"Link, I just want to help you."

Link sighed, but said nothing.

They remained somber until the sounds and shadows of Castle Town quietly absorbed them.

* * *

Link didn't mention the vision to anyone, but the overwhelming apprehension for Colin's safety compelled him to outfit the boy with as much armor as his young weight and strength would permit.

By the end of the day Colin the farmboy had been packed away for safekeeping in Telma's bar and Colin the adventurer emerged blushing but proud into the wide wide world.

In the warm hazy glow of the bar Colin turned around in a circle before Link, displaying his new outfit. Link nodded his approval.

"You look good," he smiled.

"My, what a handsome young squire!" Telma commented from behind the counter, only causing the young boy to turn a deeper shade of red.

"It's heavy," he mumbled, fingering the hem of his new chain mail shirt, or hauberk, where it peeked out from beneath a long-sleeved blue tunic.

"It's the lightest they had," Link said as he stood and checked the fastenings of Colin's new boiled leather shoulder plates. "Made for squires your age. You'll get used to it."

Colin lifted his foot and twisted his ankle, inspecting his new knee-high leather boots. He grinned.

"I like these. They're almost just like yours. And the leather pants are really soft."

"With extra padding in the seat?" Telma asked. Link nodded.

"Of course. And thank you again for letting us use your, uh, influence on the armor merchant."

Telma winked at him.

"Honey, that's what I'm here for."

Link hefted his bulging saddle bags over his shoulder and turned to Colin.

"Ready to go?"

His 'squire' nodded eagerly and took up his own bags, considerably lighter but no less large, and bounced out the door. As soon as Colin was out of sight, Link sobered and went quickly over to the barkeeper.

"Telma, can you keep this?" He opened his hand to reveal a small blue jewel set in a flat white stone disc, the size of a small pebble.

"What is this, honey?" Telma took it and held it up to the light, inspecting the strange item from all angles.

"It's a magical seeker stone," Link explained, showing her that he too held one just like it. "They come in pairs. When activated they pulse with light according to the distance they are from each other."

"Why…"

"If something happens and I activate the stone, will you bring help?"

Telma took his hand and looked him straight in the eye.

"Somethin's botherin you, Link honey," she said seriously. "You think something bad's gonna happen, don't you?"

Link broke her gaze.

"I'm just being prepared, that's all," he lied. She didn't believe him.

"You don't have to go," she said. "There'll be other times."

Link shook his head.

"Colin's counting on me," he said. "He's so excited. And how would I explain it to him? It's only a feeling. I'm probably still nervous from the night of the ball."

Telma sighed.

"Well, if somethin' does happen I'll bring help," she said. "You can count on me."

Link smiled with relief.

"Thank you," he said, and shook her hand. "Goodbye."

The large, motherly woman pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Take care of yourself, honey," she said, "and I don't need to tell you to take care of Colin."

Link broke away and smiled grimly, then turned and headed out the door.

'_If anything happens to Colin…'_ he thought, and tightened his sword-belt.

* * *

_To be continued!_


	16. Chapter 16

**The Quest of Colin**

By FrodoSilverlune

Note: Thank you everybody who reviewed. We broke 100! Yay! (not that I'm counting…) Also, fluff warning. And a friendly neighborhood reminder, we are in the no-slash zone. For all you math whizzes, fluff ≠ (does not equal) slash. This is _brotherly_ affection. Please bear this in mind as we continue our journey as not-so-distant observers of one (or two) of our favorite fictional characters. Enjoy!

**Chapter 16

* * *

**

Hooves thudded dully against the hard dirt road winding its way between two eroded walls of earth. High overhead the afternoon sun saturated the gully with its draining heat, lulling the two travelers into a weary, irritable mood.

Hot, dusty, sleepy.

Link and Colin rode side-by-side down the long road from Faron province to Lake Hylia. Colin was beginning to wonder if the golden bugs were really worth the long trip. He felt a bit guilty for thinking so, but decided it wasn't really the bugs he was after. It was the experience. How would he ever grow up to be a warrior like Link if he didn't endure a little cold and heat first?

'_So I guess it'll be worth it in the end,'_ he tried to console himself. _'Why don't I think of something else…'_

"Will you teach me more sword techniques tonight?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," Link replied.

Silence. The jingling of tack, creaking of leather, the thudding of hooves against a hard dirt road.

"Why don't we sing a song?" Colin suggested, hoping to alleviate the atmosphere.

Link shrugged.

"Go ahead."

"Don't you want to sing?"

"No, not really."

"You used to love to sing."

Link shrugged again, as if to say 'yeah, I did.'

Colin sighed.

"What about 'The Horse on the Mountain'?"

"If you want to sing, you can. I won't stop you," Link said.

Changing his tactics, Colin opened his mouth and began to sing.

_Long long ago_

_In the wide wide world_

_A young young boy_

_Owned a big big horse_

_And they lived far up high on the moun-tain._

_Ev'ry ev'ry day_

_The young young boy_

_And the old old horse_

_Would…_

Suddenly something very sharp and very solid crashed into Colin's back, sending him flying over his horses' head with a pained cry. The world flipped upside down and he landed hard on his shoulder on the unforgiving ground. Something popped wetly with the impact, and he rolled in the dust from the momentum of his fall. An inhuman shriek rent the air.

He came to a stop and lay staring up at the dusty blue sky, gasping for air, but he couldn't breathe! Panicking, he gaped and clutched at his throat until finally sweet air flowed into his lungs. Only then did he look up, just in time to see Link's sword cleave the oversized head from a huge bat-like creature. The slain enemy flopped bloodily to the ground.

In an instant Link had dismounted and was at Colin's side.

"Colin!"

He dropped to his knees as his worried gaze scrutinized every inch of Colin's form.

"Where does it hurt?"

"Link…" dust caught in Colin's throat and he coughed. Pain suddenly stabbed through his upper back and his left shoulder.

"Hold on."

Link leapt up and raced to Epona where he fetched his blanket roll and hurried back. Carefully he eased Colin's head up and slid the 'pillow' underneath his neck, propping him up.

"Now where does it hurt?"

"My shoulder…and my back," Colin said pointing, trying to be brave.

Gingerly Link unbuckled Colin's shoulder plate and eased it off.

"This is going to hurt a little," he warned. "I'll try to be soft."

Ever so tenderly he felt the bones of Colin's shoulder, face grim. Colin began to get nervous. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but decided he'd know soon enough.

"It's dislocated, Colin," Link said solemnly. "It'll have to be set."

Colin felt the color drain from his face, but he nodded.

Link smiled encouragingly.

"It's okay. Once it's set it won't hurt anymore. Here, let's get you up."

Carefully Link helped Colin stand, then he guided him to the side of the road to sit against the ravine wall. After bringing him a quick drink of water, he positioned himself on Colin's side and grasped his upper arm with his left hand, holding onto Colin's shoulder with the other.

"Ready?" he asked. Colin nodded and closed his eyes, stealing himself against the pain.

He couldn't help but let out a cry as Link maneuvered his bone back into place. But Link had been right. As soon as Colin felt it lock into place, the sharp pain vanished, leaving only a dull, throbbing ache. He blinked the tears from him eyes and let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Thank you," he said quietly, reaching around with his other hand to touch it. Link helped him to his feet.

"You're brave," he said, putting his things back. "Do you think you can hold out a bit longer? I know you said your back was hurting, but we need to move before more giant bats arrive."

Colin nodded.

Link pulled a bottle of red liquid from one of his belt pouches.

"Drink this," he said, handing it to him. "It'll give you strength."

"Are you sure?" Colin asked. "I'm fine, just a bit shaky."

"Drink it."

Colin wouldn't argue with that tone of voice. Quickly he popped the cork and downed the vile contents. He gagged.

"Ugh! It's awful!"

"Yeah," Link sympathized. "I know. But it works."

It did. Colin could feel a buzzing warmth surging through his veins. He shook his head to clear it.

"Wow."

Link grinned and pocketed the empty bottle, gathering the reigns of both horses and handing them to Colin.

"Hold them for a moment," he said, drawing a long knife from a sheath in his boot.

Colin watched with interest as he approached the corpse of the bat and cut one of the meaty upper thighs from the beast. He wrapped it in leather and tied it to Epona's saddle, then cleaned the knife and his hands with water from their supply.

"Dinner," he explained.

As he took the reigns from Colin and they continued down the road, Colin felt there was more to adventuring than he'd ever know.

* * *

Later that evening as the pair sat around a warm campfire, Link examined and treated Colin's back.

"You're lucky," he said, applying a soothing white cream. "It's only a bruise. The chain mail protected you well."

Colin shivered in the cool night air, clutching a blanket to his bare chest, his back to the light and warmth of the fire.

"Why did that bird come after me?" he asked.

"I have no idea," Link confessed. "I never even heard it coming, and then suddenly it knocked you off the horse."

"Maybe it didn't like my singing," Colin joked.

"Hmm."

It was silent for a while, save only for the comforting crackle of the fire and the warbling symphony of the night's insects.

"Finished," Link said at last, helping Colin ease his thin leather jerkin back over his injuries.

"That feels a lot better," Colin smiled, turning to the fire. "Where did you learn to set my shoulder?"

"On the ranch," Link replied. "We've had lots of accidents over the years."

He turned the spit of bat meat roasting over the fire.

"Thank you for protecting me."

Link sighed and shook his head, poking at the coals with a stick.

"I never meant for you to get hurt. I'm sorry. I should have heard it coming…"

"It's okay," Colin said quickly. "It just knocked me down."

"No," Link said darkly. "It's not okay. Yeah, this time it knocked you down. But it only takes one hit…" he stopped and turned the meat again. "I should have heard it. I should have known. I was right there, right next to you…"

"Link, really, it's okay."

Link sighed and rubbed his eyes with his shoulder.

"Sorry, Colin," he apologized. "I just…you're not supposed to get hurt."

"You're supposed to protect me."

Link turned the meat again and added another branch to the fire.

"Yeah."

On the edge of the firelight Epona and Sabre grazed on their picket lines, lipping the sparse grass in search of something they'd missed five minutes ago.

Link decided the meat was done and lifted it off the fire, suspending the meal off the ground between two decent-sized rocks to cool a bit. He pulled some small but hearty squares of traveler's bread from their packs and handed one to Colin.

"Link," Colin said between mouthfuls, "you're just human."

Link shook his head slightly.

"It's been three times now that…" he paused. "Never mind."

The meat was ready.

Bat was stringy and tough, but filling. When they were finished Link wrapped up the leftovers and buried the bones away from the campsite. Bedrolls were spread out next to the fire, with saddlebags of clothing as pillows.

Colin snuggled down on his right side and stared into the flames, listening to the music of the night. Link sat crosslegged beside the fire for a long time until Colin's gentle breathing told him the boy was asleep.

Why hadn't he heard the bat before it struck Colin? He'd always heard them before. Did Midna heighten his senses somehow? But if she had, then did that mean he'd lost them?

Suddenly he was overwhelmed by a wave of emotion. He stared at Colin's sleeping form, so little beneath the blankets. So fragile. What good was he doing sitting over here? What good had he ever done for the poor kid?

'_He needs me.'_

'_Like you've ever been able to protect him.'_

Link stood, banked up the fire and pulled his bedroll up next to the sleeping boy, on the side opposite the fire. Quietly he laid down next to him, staring out into the darkness, hand on the hilt of his long knife.

But sleep was a long time in coming. Even though he was laying right beside Colin, he still felt distant, disconnected. Vulnerable.

'_No, I feel like _Colin_ is vulnerable.'_

Protect. To shield, guard, shelter- keep from harm.

Awkwardly, Link rolled over and shifted closer to Colin until he was laying up against his back. Minding his injuries, he draped his right arm over the boy's side.

For some reason, it fit. Colin sighed in his sleep and snuggled into his arms.

'_A shield.' _

Peace.

'_Who is protecting who?'_

Contentment.

He slept.

* * *

To be continued! 


	17. Chapter 17

The Quest of Colin

By FrodoSilverlune : So sorry for the delay!! I hope you haven't forgotten the story by now. I've been busy and un-focused and stuff. Yeah. This is a short transition chapter to get you prepped for the coming action. It's been a while in developing, but for you lovers of suspense and action, you won't be disappointed. In theory. We hope. Enjoy.

**Chapter 17**

* * *

One week had passed since the incident with the giant bat. Colin's shoulder was healing remarkably. He almost had gained full motion already. Almost.

Colin's concern wasn't focused on his shoulder. He was worried about Link. Ever since the bat had attacked him, Link had been acting strangely, or rather, stranger than his usual strangeness since he'd come home. Colin didn't know a lot of fancy words to describe exactly how Link was acting, but if someone would have asked him he would have said "like my mother."

Practically the only time Link left Colin alone was when he needed to answer nature's call. Otherwise, Link was hovering around every second of the day, eyes darting to and fro for danger. His constant fretting over Colin's safety had become irritating six days ago. Now, Colin was ready to give him a serious talking to, which, of course, he wouldn't do because he wasn't sure he was allowed to talk to Link like that.

So he allowed Link to switch chain mail shirts with him, giving him the 'magical' hero one to wear and tucking Colin's too-small shirt away. He allowed Link to 'show him how to gather firewood.' And water. And golden bugs.

Speaking of which, they'd collected three so far. Colin himself had only captured two. Link had insisted on Colin staying with the odd cannon master in Lake Hylia as he was shot into the desert to collect the phasmid. Link had protested that Colin's shoulder was too fragile to endure the trauma of exploding from a giant iron tube, hurtling through space, and landing in the hard sand. Colin, needless to say, had been extremely disappointed.

Now they were climbing north through the mountains, ascending to the elevation of Zora's domain. Since the return of peace, the trail to the summit had been reopened to travelers. Few seemed to make use of the trail, however. They'd only met one traveling merchant since beginning the climb yesterday morning.

"How's your shoulder?"

Colin rolled his eyes.

"I already told you it's better," he answered Link in exasperation. His patience, already thin, was on the verge of breaking. "You don't have to keep asking me."

"Sorry."

Link was tired. He couldn't keep doing this, staying up at night to keep watch over the camp. He yawned, again. But the worry was becoming a paranoia, almost an obsession. He couldn't fail again. He wouldn't let Colin get hurt again.

If only they could make better time. They were close to the safety of Zora's Domain. He'd sent a letter on ahead of them to ask Prince Rallis for an escort to meet them at the edge of the province. A precaution, he told himself. There was safety in numbers. But what he knew, really, was that he didn't trust himself. Not anymore. Not after the accident.

Shaken.

Link twitched, jerking awake suddenly in the saddle. Had he just dozed off? He was so tired. And Colin was mad. He knew he was being overprotective, but how could he just let the boy go? If something were to happen to him…

The two travelers were passing through a pine forest interspersed with large granite boulders. Overhead an overcast sky threatened to break open within the hour to drench the thirsty brown earth. Dry pine needles muffled the sound of their horses' hooves, allowing the musical calls of bluebirds and swallows to enliven the hearer.

If only the listeners were in better moods. They would have noticed how the songs of the birds and insects vanished into silence a second after the travelers had passed. They would have heard the occasional breaking of twigs, the scraping of needle-leaves against boiled leather armor, and the instantly hushed metallic clank of weapons.

They would have known they were being followed.

* * *

To be continued!


	18. Chapter 18

The Quest of Colin

by FrodoSilverlune: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Enjoy.

**Chapter 18**

* * *

It happened in an instant.

Maybe Link didn't hear them because of the storm that suddenly crashed down from the sky and drenched them in thunder and lightning. Maybe it was his fatigue, or his worry, or any number of things combined together.

All he knew was that one minute he was hunched against the rain and the next something very sharp and very fast zipped past his ear.

"RUN!" He shouted to Colin, battle instincts suddenly on full alert. He whipped out his sword and wheeled Epona around in a tight circle, searching for his foe.

"What?"

Colin wasn't running. He was waiting, wondering what was wrong.

"Go!" Link commanded. "We're under attack!"

"Where?"

"Just _run_!"

They came.

Moblins. Lots of them. More than he could count. They came running out of the woods brandishing their curved scitimars, warbling their hideous battle cry. Colin's eyes widened in fear, yet he still didn't turn his horse and gallop away.

"Go, Colin!" Link was pleading now. "I can take them, just go!"

The first moblin went for Epona's forelegs. Link pulled her high into a rear and she lashed out at its chest with her lethal hooves, sending the moblin sprawling several feet. One down.

As she landed on all fours, Link parried the blow of another with his sword and retaliated by lopping off the creature's head. Black moblin blood exploded everywhere, splattering hotly on Link's cheek as he turned to see if Colin had left yet.

The foolish boy had drawn his sword.

"No Colin!"

Bodies. Moblin bodies between Epona and Sabre, cutting him off from the child. Bravely Epona obeyed him and trampled and shoved her way through the creatures, Link's sword hacking away through the blinding rain.

A green hand reached for Colin's leg and pulled, trying to drag the boy from the saddle. Colin seemed to come to his senses and swiped blindly at the attacker, who yelped and pulled away. But where it left, four more hands replaced it.

"LINK!"

He was going down.

"Colin! Fight them!"

Link was almost there, so close.

Too late. With a cry, Colin was dragged from his saddle and disappeared into a pile of croaking, victorious, vile creatures.

"NO!" Link roared and sprung from his saddle to the ground. Palm slick with rain against the hilt of his sword, he called on the power of the Triforce and charged his sword with power until it was glowing. With a mighty cry, he released the blade with a swirling vortex of energy, blowing away everything around him.

But it was too late.

They had him. The moblins had Colin, with a knife under his throat. Was it tears or the rain running down Colin's face? Link froze, panting.

"What do you want?" He asked, raising his sword until it pointed directly at the moblins holding the boy.

They didn't say a word.

In his peripheral vision, wounded moblins began to crawl pitifully out of the scene. The rain washed the blood from his face, running down his spine in cold rivulets and plastering his long hair to his forehead.

"Put down your weapon."

The voice was human. Link hesitated. The moblin with the knife to Colin's throat pressed harder, and Colin gasped, shutting his eyes.

Link dropped his sword into the mud. One of the creatures shuffled forward and stole it away.

Footsteps were approaching behind him, sucking in the mud.

"Who are you?" Link asked, not taking his eyes from Colin.

"Who am I? You've met me before."

The person seemed confident in the power he held over Link. His voice was strangely familiar.

"What do I want? It's pretty simple. I want you, Link, hero of Hyrule."

Instantly everything became horribly clear.

"If I surrender, will you let the boy go? Now? Unharmed?" He added quickly.

"Of course."

"And what do you want me for?"

"You'll see."

Colin opened his eyes, staring at Link in panic. The rain was falling harder now, getting into his eyes and roaring through the pine trees. The air was fresh with the smell of wet earth and blood.

His mind whirled in circles, trying to think of anything, any way to get out of the situation. The moblin pressed harder on the knife. Colin whimpered and a tiny trickle of blood dripped into the rain smearing down Colin's white neck.

"All right."

"I knew you were a smart man," the stranger said.

Four moblins rushed to Link and practically crawled all over him wrenching his arms behind his back and binding his wrists painfully tight. When they were sure he was in their power, with a noose around his neck and guards grasping every inch of him they could hold, Colin was released.

The moblins shoved the boy hard, into the mud. He picked himself up with defiance and stood, clenching his fists.

"Go, Colin," Link said firmly.

"Yes, go Colin," mimicked the stranger. "Run Colin, run away. You don't want to see what we have I store for your noble friend."

Suddenly something cold and thin stabbed through the top of Link's right shoulder. White-hot pain ripped through his arm and upper chest as the dagger was withdrawn with a vengeful twist and red blood began to ooze from the wound.

"_Link!"_ Colin cried out and rushed forward, but was tackled and thrown back into the woods.

And before Link's eyes materialized a young man, the very same whom he had encountered in Castle Town at the inn, but now in his right skin. His eyes were the same though, two cruel, desperate blue orbs of mockery and arrogance set in an angular, handsome face of darkness.

"Go Colin, run to your friends. Tell them we have their precious hero."

Tears were mingling with the rain now, running down Colin's face.

"I'm sorry, Link. I'll be back. I promise."

With one last sorrowful glace, Colin disappeared into the gray woods.

Link's shoulder screamed at his brain. He tried to keep a defiance in his gaze as the youth scoffed openly after the boy.

"Yes, come back. Maybe your hero will last long enough for you to save him." He grinned wickedly. "But I don't think so."

* * *

To be continued!


	19. Chapter 19

The Quest of Colin

Note: Thank you reviewers! Enjoy.

**Chapter 19**

* * *

_The stone._

Darkness. Thick, heavy darkness shrouding him like a cold, penetrating blanket, cutting through the thin fibers of his clothing, shredding through a veil of shivering flesh to knaw on his fragile white bones.

A damp uneven surface numbed his cheek and seeped through to his shoulder and hip.

He opened his eyes.

There wasn't much to see. The only light came through as a weak yellowish sliver accidentally meandering through the tiny jagged crack underneath a wooden door. The floor he was lying on was clay. By the way the misty veil of light vaguely accented uneven contours on the walls, he guessed he was in some sort of underground cave.

Where was he?

He tested his limbs, but cords around his wrists- secured behind his back- and ankles prevented most movement.

_Colin!_

Link remembered. The last thing he'd seen was Colin's back disappearing into the jaws of black tree trunks- swallowed by a forest dripping with the saliva of rain. Then a flash, and nothing. Now he was here.

Where was here?

'_That doesn't matter now. Survival. Escape…'_

_Colin._

How had this happened?

The cold had numbed him, but now with the return of consciousness a deep throbbing fire in his shoulder reminded him of the cruelty of his captor.

The youth from the inn.

No. He couldn't be alone. The imposter seemed too arrogant for intelligence and strategy to be sharing the same mind. He was a puppet, then. A young, humiliated child with raging vengeance to release.

Link groaned to himself. Of all the villains to capture him, he'd had to have this one. He didn't want to think about what "games" were in store. If he did, he'd panic.

Escape, then.

'_Well, if they've locked you in a cell, bound hand and foot, they've probably eliminated all chances of escape.'_

'_But I have to try.'_

The stone!

The seeker stone he'd given to Telma…if he could only activate it somehow.

Hope, a desperate ray of hope gave life to his limbs and shoved aside the pain as he shuffled and stretched, rolling and scooting along the floor to find some way to escape his bonds. Suddenly an idea came to mind. If he could thread his legs through the loop of his arms…maybe he could bring them to the front, and the cords to his teeth.

Spurred on by action, by a plan, Link got to work.

* * *

_**One day earlier**_

* * *

Colin ran.

Spurred on by wild fear, his legs pumped faster than they'd run before. Dodging tree trunks, whipped by branches, he raced through the forest. Tears blinded his eyes.

The rain had stopped. He flew through a world of wet bark and weeping foliage as overhead the pine needles relinquished the last of heaven's sorrow.

He was being followed.

They were coming.

Reeling from a stitch in his side, Colin sucked fresh, pine-dampened air into his dry lungs and ran some more. But they were faster.

And the instant something crashed into the back of his skull and he sprawled into a grave of brown needles, he knew this had been their plan all along.

* * *

**_Present_**

* * *

He'd done it.

Exhausted, Link lay panting on the floor of his cell, cold sweat drying on his forehead, arms slick with salty moisture. Exuberating victory drowned out the agony of his injured, now agitated, shoulder as he held his bound hands up against the light bleeding underneath the door.

One battle done, a thousand more to go.

'_The story of my life,'_ he thought wryly.

His moment of rest satisfied, Link felt along his tunic, taking stock of what they'd stolen.

His belt and pouches were gone, as was his hauberk and gauntlet. Thankfully, though, they hadn't taken his boots yet. His fingers probed the leather fold at the top of his boots, searching for the hidden pouch concealing the stone.

It was there.

Relief flooded him and he sank back to the floor, breathing a silent thank you. Running through several possible scenarios in his mind, he decided on a course of action.

Better for them to think they were in control for as long as possible.

Heart pounding, Link sat up and squeezed the stone from its tight leather concealment. There it was, the blue stone encased in its ring of alabaster, waiting, ready in his palm to rescue him.

Gingerly Link reached over his shoulder with his bound hands and felt his wound. The blood from the stab had dried, but the strain of working his body into a pretzel had reopened the wound. Now it was warm and damp, with the bitter taste of copper. Carefully Link touched the stone to the wound, allowing his blood to rub onto the gem. He brought the bloody stone to his lips and whispered to it the words of enchantment.

Ever so softly the stone began to glow.

Link exhaled in relief, watching as a brilliant blue light grew from deep within its core, growing and spreading until it lit up the room in azure radiance. It faded, paused, then slowly lit up again. Link could have wept for joy. The stone was settling into a slow, methodical rhythm of pulses. He was far from help, but now at least someone knew.

Reverently he returned the stone to its hiding place.

It wasn't a moment too soon. Heavy shuffling footsteps hurried in his direction. Link steeled himself against whatever was to come.

The "fun" was about to begin.

* * *

To be continued! Duh duh duuuuuh... ;-)


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Discalimer: In case any admins missed the one at the beginning, I don't own the Legend of Zelda or any characters, scenarios, music, etc. associated with it.

Note: Thank you to all me wonderful reviewers, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Colin awoke to the bitter taste of dried blood on his tongue. Through a heavy, too-sweet fog his brain began grasping for consciousness. He struggled, reaching for the surface, the fog gradually thinning until coherent thoughts began reawakening in his mind. Gingerly he licked his dry, cracked lips and opened his eyes.

Colin found he was lying on a cot inside a cold, underground cavern.

He wasn't alone.

"Good morning, Colin," the youth from the forest said smugly. "Sleep well?"

Instantly the memory of the ambush exploded into his brain, and with it, fear. He sat up defiantly and swung his legs over the side, determined to be brave. Brave like Link.

The young man stood facing him with his arms crossed. He flicked hair from his eyes- straight, black bangs that fell back to cover one blue slit of an eye and studied Colin triumphantly.

"Don't you have any questions?"

"Where's Link?"

The question burst from Colin's lips and echoed through the flickering torchlight in the room, quivering but bold.

The youth smiled again, as though the question was exactly what he was expecting.

"Do you want to see him?"

"Where is he?" Colin shivered.

"He's here. And if you're a good boy, I'll take you to him."

Colin stood carefully. He was scared. More scared than he'd ever been in his life, but if he showed them how terrified he was, he knew they'd take advantage of it. Link had taught him that. He'd never expected to use it.

"Where is he?" He asked again. "What are you going to do to us?"

"Oh, don't worry," his captor said. "I don't think we'll need to do anything to _you_."

Colin's worry increased tenfold.

"What do you want from us?"

The young man took his torch from the wall went to the cell's door, where a bolt was drawn and the door pulled open. The young man slipped through and a thick, bearded man in leather armor took his place. He grabbed Colin's arm roughly and ushered him from the cell.

Dripping roots slithered through the earthen ceiling of a short tunnel, dangling like limp black corpses- wraiths against the torchlight. Colin noticed that across from him another wooden door was set into the tunnel wall. Link's cell?

He didn't have much time to wonder as he was hurried down the corridor, boots splashing in frigid puddles of what he hoped was black water. The tunnel snaked around a corner and ended suddenly at another door. Colin's captor unlocked the bolt with a key from a large, rusty ring on his belt. Colin kept the knowledge carefully in his mind.

The youth from the forest took the handle and grinned again.

"Wait here," he said, and disappeared through the door.

* * *

Link wasn't surprised when the young man who'd ambushed him reappeared.

"Welcome, Link," he said, and gestured around. "Do you like our workshop?"

Link rolled his eyes dramatically at the lame joke. Held between two guards, he stood in a large underground cavern housing several large crates and a new table with iron shackle-like restraints bolted into the surface. He was sure this was their torture chamber, and the fact that he'd been captured and brought there gave him a pretty strong inclination as to who they'd been built for.

"My name is Nialliv, or Nial. I'm here on behalf of my master. He has a few questions he wants to ask you."

"Why doesn't he ask me himself?" Link said.

Nial shrugged.

"Maybe you'll understand later. See, these questions are going to be very difficult for you to answer."

"I can see that."

Nial smiled and flicked the hair out of his eyes. The torchlight glittered on the hard black leather of his vest, the eyes of the dragons embellished in it twinkling like tiny demons. His full white sleeves rustled slightly in a passing draft.

'_The air moves,'_ Link noticed. _'We must be close to the entrance.'_

"Before I ask the questions, I want to ensure your cooperation," Nial explained evenly. "So do understand I've brought along a bit of encouragement, in case you have second thoughts."

"What kind of 'encouragement?'"

"You'll see soon. Now please, have a seat."

Two other guards emerged from the shadows and brought a table and two chairs, one for Link and one for his captor. They sat, and one of the guards brought Link's belt and tossed it onto the table. Nial nodded towards it.

"Let's see your stuff," he said.

"What stuff?"

Now Nial rolled his eyes.

"_Your_ stuff. You know, your fancy new weapons. Take them out."

"What do you mean? What weapons?"

Nial sighed and shook his head.

"Link, don't pretend to be stupid. We know your weapons are in the pouches. Now, just take them out. We want to see them. We'll explain later."

"Why can't you take them out?" Link asked.

"Because only you can summon them back to their original size. Really, now, we don't have all day."

'_Maybe cooperating is the best idea right now,'_ Link thought. As much as he hated being controlled and forced to do things, he took the belt with his bound hands, opened one of the pouches and pulled out an empty bottle. He set it on the table and leaned back, finished. Behind him one of the guards 'accidentally' bumped his wounded shoulder.

"Don't make this more difficult than it has to be," Nial said smoothly.

Choking down the pain and his pride, Link took his belt again and began withdrawing his weapons. First the boomerang, then the bow, a clawshot, some arrows, he began piling the sacred treasures of Hyrule's temples on the table for a low-life mercenary. When he didn't have any more room, he stood and placed them carefully on the floor.

'_Why am I doing this?'_

His lantern, a bomb bag, the Zora armor…

"Ah, so you still have my sword," Nial commented when he removed the sword with the sapphire from the last pouch. Instead of placing it with his other gear, he handed it to his captor, who took it with a flourish.

"It's nice to have it back."

Link said nothing, but rolled the ice-smashing ball-and-chain into place on the floor next to the iron boots. Beside them, the magic armor flashed like gold fire in the torchlight. He shook out his pouches once to show there was nothing left, then stepped back, dropping them on the floor.

Nial whistled in amazement.

"That's a lot of gear," he observed, "but you're missing one item, or rather, two."

Link raised an eyebrow.

"That's everything."

"No, Link, that's not everything. I want the Rod of the Heavens."

'_No, not that! With it they could access the Temple of Time, maybe get the Master Sword…'_

"The 'Rod of the Heavens?' Never heard of it."

Nial nodded carefully.

"Yes, this is where I knew it would be difficult," he mumbled to himself, but just loud enough for Link to hear. "We thought you might need some help remembering where it is."

* * *

Outside in the tunnel, Colin was growing mad with anxiety. Through the door he'd been able to make out the sound of voices, then a few metallic clanks, then shuffling. For a while now, though, there had been silence. The waiting was horrible, more awful than sitting in his cell bewildered. Finally he broke the silence and spoke to his guard.

"What are they doing in there?" he asked. "Where's Link?"

Suddenly, as if in answer to his question, a strained moan came from beyond the door.

'_Link!'_

"What are you doing to him?!" Colin squeaked, desperate. But the guard didn't seem to hear him. "Please tell me! Let me see him!"

Another moan, this time louder, was the only reply.

* * *

'_Cherries. Picking cherries.'_

Pain. The sage struck him again with another spell, this time like needles crawling up and down his skin.

'_Picking cherries…in spring…' _

He twisted around on the table, trying in vain to rid himself of the slithering, piercing ribbons of nails. The iron shackles they'd bound him down with cut into his wrists, making them slick with blood in their restraints.

He tried thinking of something…anything to take his mind off the pain.

'_Up on a ladder…silky leaves…thick like water…dark clusters…sweet, red, black cherries…warm sun…'_

It stopped. The sage withdrew the spell and retreated into his black hood. Link sank in relief, sweat dripping down face and sides.

"So, remember yet?"

Link shook his head.

"I've never…heard of it," he panted.

Helpless. Prostrate and exposed on a table in a cave. No one knew where he was. No one was coming for him. He remembered now, the strange attacks in Ordon. They'd had the same flavor as these torture tricks- they all carried with them the same depressing, bitter taste of hopelessness.

"Maybe you should stay up and think about it for a while," Nali said behind him, and came into his view holding a strange object.

"This was used by your ancestor the Hero of Time, once, the story goes." Nali showed him a strange mask crisscrossed with black webbing with large white and red circles for the eyes. "I believe he used it when he was saving Termina from a catastrophe that never happened. He called it the 'All Night' Mask. It took quite a bit of effort to track down, so I hope you enjoy it."

Rough hands grabbed his head and held him still while Nali placed the mask over his face. The sage cast a binding spell, gluing it in place, and the task was complete.

"Well, Link," Nali said with finality, "I hope you remember where the Rod is by morning. You'll have all night to think about it, so don't disappoint me."

Link heard shuffling as the room was emptied of its occupants. The last one to leave was Nali, who called cheerily over his shoulder as he took the light and closed the door.

"Sleep well!"

* * *

Colin was returned to his cell in anguish. He knew they'd been torturing Link. But why had they made him hear it?

A dinner of watery soup and tough, burnt bread was delivered, but he was too worried to eat. How had this happened? What did they want from them, to do these horrible things?

Colin sat on his cot and stared at the wall, and like Link, though for different reasons, didn't sleep a wink all night.

* * *

To be continued!!


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

* * *

Telma didn't discover the pulsating seeker stone until three o'clock in the morning. She'd finally "gracefully discharged" her last intoxicated customer, shut down the bar, and sank gratefully into bed. Only then, relaxing in the darkness of her bedroom as her mind unraveled from the day's events, did a strange blue orb draw her attention, glowing through the fabric of her coat pocket.

She didn't remember what it was at first. She was tired, and stumbling out of bed in irritation, mumbled under her breath about "those darn kids." It took a bit of digging through her clothing, piled and tangled as they were on the chair in the corner. The fact that it only glowed for eight seconds before darkening for twelve didn't help, but finally, it rolled out of its hiding place and dropped to the floor.

The instant she saw it, she remembered. Quickly she picked it up, marveling at the sapphire's radiant beauty while worry began to build in her chest.

"Link, honey," she murmured to herself. Something must have happened, something horrible. She knew Link didn't ask for help, yet here she stood with his last resort begging beautifully in her hand.

'_Well, there's nothing I can do about it tonight,'_ her voice of reason insisted.

'_But Link's in trouble! We need to go now, before something worse happens!'_

She clutched the stone in her fist, torn between the logical thing to do and rushing after him like a mother hen protecting its chicks.

"Fine," she compromised. "I'll get some rest, get up early and call the gang. When we're together, we'll decide how to find him."

Gingerly, she laid the stone on her nightstand and crawled back into bed.

"First thing tomorrow," she promised herself resolutely.

Yet her dreams that night were of Link- alone, despairing, yet no one would come to rescue him.

* * *

The first night wasn't so hard. Yes, it was aggravating, how every time he started to slip off, the mask would shock him into full wakefulness, and he'd be right back where he began, staring up at the ceiling through the darkness, sighing in frustration… But if this was how they expected him to give up the Rod, no problem. He could handle it. He'd been through worse.

Then again, the hardest part was not knowing. The darkness of the cave revealed no clue about the passing of time. How long had they left him there? Was it an hour? Half an hour? Five hours? Ten? Each time, every time he looked up there was only blackness. When he turned his head to the side, there was blackness.

The dark was maddening. Whether he closed his eyes or opened them, everything was black. Yet he couldn't close his eyes- the mask wouldn't let him. Wearily his gaze traveled back and forth, searching against all logic for light, shape- something other than the nothing he was saturated in.

Had it grown colder? The draft brushing across his exposed skin numbed it, until he couldn't feel even the breeze anymore, only the tickle of his clothing against cold skin.

Eternity passed. He climbed hills of reasoning and plunged into valleys of acceptance.

This was where he was.

But he wasn't supposed to be here. How long could they leave him like this?

As long as they want. Just accept it. It's okay.

'_It's okay.'_

But it wasn't okay.

'_Calm down. They'll come back. They still need to question you._'

Maybe when they came back, they'd take off the mask. Maybe they'd let him sleep.

'_What if they don't?'_

At least they might give him light. A torch…a candle…something so he could _see_.

Finally, they did come back.

Nali returned, and with him the sage. Link had never imagined that he'd actually be glad to see them. He would have welcomed Ganondorf if it meant a relief from the darkness.

"Good morning, Link," Nali taunted. "Or is it good afternoon?"

"You tell me," Link mumbled.

"I suppose you haven't remembered where the Rod is yet, have you?" Nali did a poor job of concealing the eagerness in his voice.

"If I knew what it was, its location might be easier to remember," he replied.

Thus the torturing began, again.

Magic. The sage was fairly decent at it. He could start and stop a spell at will, but he didn't seem to have a very large repertoire. Knives of pain, rivers of pain, drumbeats of pain…different colors, different tastes, different smells.

Nali watched with pleasure, a wicked smile on his face. Each time the sage released him, he'd ask the same question: "Remember yet?" And each time Link shook his head in agony, collapsed on the table, unable to speak.

He didn't cry, though. And he didn't scream. Not yet. They hadn't broken him yet. He was stubborn. He was a Hero. Heroes didn't scream. They could stab him with lightning, they could send a river of fire coursing through his intestines, threatening to explode him from the inside out. They could scorch him with heat and freeze him with ice, but they couldn't make him cry. He was a Hero. Heroes didn't cry.

Eventually they left him drenched in sweat and quivering, tears of pain dripping sideways from the corners of his eyes and collecting in the webbing of the mask to dry.

"Think about it, Link. We'll be back."

They took the light.

* * *

When they finally allowed Colin to see Link, it had been three days. Colin had been counting his meals- one in the morning and one at night. He'd had five meals: three dinners of soup and bread, and two breakfasts of cold porridge. It was after one of these dinners he was led from his cell back to the door that had haunted his imagination for the past two days. He didn't ask what they were doing. He'd realized a long time ago his questions were stupid, childish. They would tell him what they wanted when they wanted, no sooner.

All Colin could think of was Link. He'd heard the screams, but they weren't real. They couldn't be real. Until he saw Link, knew he was okay, heard an encouraging word- a smile- that everything would be okay, this wasn't happening.

Or so he thought, until he saw him.

When they opened the door, Colin froze.

Link was lying, bound on a table. Black iron cuffs were bolted around his wrists and ankles, the skin around his wrists lacerated red and black with blood- old and new. But the strangest thing was the mask on his face- a black, webbed mask with staring white circles for eyes. He was breathing hard and sweating. A shiver ran through his body.

"Link!" Colin couldn't suppress a sob.

Instantly Link's head snapped in his direction. The masks' two white eyes pupiled with red struck Colin like a punch to the gut, bold and hideous.

"Colin!"

His voice was raspy and desperate.

"What have they done to you?" Colin exclaimed in anguish.

From the shadows emerged their captor- the confident, relishing youth.

"Colin," he purred, "I'm so glad you could join us. Your friend Link has something we want, but he just won't give it to us. Now, we thought you might be able to persuade him."

"You said you'd let him go!" Link protested angrily.

"I did let him go," the youth said, mockingly offended. "It wasn't my fault that he got caught again. After all, you didn't tell me not to."

"You bastard!" Link shot, furious. Colin gasped. He'd never heard him use that word.

"You'll have to forgive your friend's language," the youth condescended. "He's had a very difficult time these past few days. His nerves just aren't what they used to be."

"Because of you!" Colin burst out, too upset to be shy. "Who are you, anyways?"

"Oh, how rude of me. My name is Nial, Colin. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Colin glared at him.

"How dare you do this to Link? After he saved you! You deserve to be…"

"_Saved_ me?" Nial interrupted, eyes flashing. "Your precious hero didn't save me, he ruined me. He brought this on himself. _I'm_ the one who is trying to save everybody, but he just won't see that."

"And how are you going to save everybody?" Link asked lowly.

Nial calmed down and flicked the hair out of his eyes, regaining his composure.

"My master and I can't show you until you give me the Rod, Link," he explained, as though talking to a very young child. "Now, are you going to tell me where it is, or will you make Colin watch you suffer?"

The room was silent for a moment, all attention focused on the prostrate hero, the cowboy from Ordon who was fighting to save the world. Finally he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Colin."

With that, rough hands clamped on Colin's shoulders, around his arms. A figure cloaked and hooded emerged from the shadows, hands outstretched. Link tensed and turned his head away from Colin, whose heart began to pound in his chest.

Suddenly blue lightning bolts shot from the end of the hooded figure's fingertips into Link's body. He snapped as though struck by a charging goat. Fists clenched, he fought against the waves of magic racking his body, heaving and jerking against his restraints. The torment intensified. More lightning, more pain. His back arched skyward in agony and a moan escaped his throat.

"Stop it!" Colin cried, tears choking his voice. "Please stop it!"

Nial approached the table, now shaking with the force of the battle. He leaned over and said calmly

"Hear him, Link. He feels your pain. Why are you making him suffer?"

He nodded to the sage, and the lightning changed from blue to red. Link screamed, a sound so horrible, so animal, so excruciatingly tortured that Colin began to scream as well.

"_Stop it! Stop, please! Leave him alone!" _

Colin fought against the hands that restrained him, throwing everything into breaking free. He was crying and shouting, commanding them to stop with all of his being. And Nial turned to him.

"Would you like me to stop?" He asked with a grin.

Colin nodded vigorously.

"Please stop, stop hurting him," he pleaded.

"Very well," Nial nodded. And it stopped.

Link melted onto the table, completely limp, his ragged, labored panting the only sound in the room. Tears coursed down Colin's face.

Nial allowed a moment to let the power he held over them sink in. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched smugly as Link's limbs twitched feebly.

"Link," Colin begged, "just tell them what they want to know. They'll kill you."

There was no response. Either Link hadn't heard him or he was too weak to speak.

"Please Link," Colin tried again, his voice catching, "just tell them."

"I…can't…" Link said hoarsely.

"Why?" Colin pleaded. It was too much. If Link didn't do what they wanted, they'd kill him.

"Why don't you talk to him for a while, Colin?" Nial suggested. "But just in case you two get any ideas…" he nodded to a guard grasping a chain, something Colin hadn't noticed before. The guard slowly began letting the chain travel up towards the ceiling where something was suspended on the other end. Through a crack in the ceiling a large, wicked-looking spiked steel ball began lowering into the room directly over the table on which Link was imprisoned. Once the entire ball was in view, hanging from a heavy chain, it stopped, suspended ten feet over Link's legs.

"I'm going to leave you two alone now," Nial said evenly, "but if you try anything stupid, like escape, my man here might just drop this chain. You know what happens when that ball comes plunging down?"

Colin shuddered as Nial began walking towards him.

"That solid steel ball will smash into Link's legs, crushing his bones." He stopped and stood looking down at the boy. "You wouldn't want to be responsible for that now, would you?"

Right then Colin knew Link was right. Nial was a bastard.

* * *

To be continued! Thank you again, reviewers.


	22. Chapter 22

**The Quest of Colin**

**NOTE:** _I re-wrote Chapter 10!!_ There are no major plot changes, but I highly recommend going back to read it again. If you recall, that was the one where I randomly popped into the scene. I cut that and put in some fluff. Enjoy!

**Chapter 22**

* * *

The search party was larger than expected.

Telma had meant to keep it small: herself, Anju, Ashei, and Shad- just like old times. But someone (she wouldn't say who) had insisted on bringing more help, just in case, insisting the gap in their party left by Rusl's absence needed to be filled.

"It needed to be filled five times over, is what you mean," Telma muttered under her breath in the hot afternoon sun, waiting impatiently near Castle Town's western gate for some of (she wouldn't mention who's) hired mercenaries to return with supplies. A _wagon_, for goodness sakes! Of all the most cumbersome, unnecessary burdens to haul along on a search-and-rescue mission, they'd had to bring a wagon.

_Her_ wagon, nonetheless. And her beautiful mare as well. The feisty woman tried taking a few deep breaths to calm her rising ire. She reached into her skirt pocket and the cool, faceted surface of the stone kissed her fingers. Slowly her irritation melted into urgency. The stone would lead them to Link. They would find him and bring him home.

'_Dead or alive…'_

"No." She shook her head to banish the rising fear. They would find Link and he would explain how unnecessary their worry had been, how it had all been a mistake. He'd smile that shy, charming smile of his and give her the other stone in good humor. Yes. That was it.

Through the crowds of people and livestock moving about the bridge, Telma spotted Shad and Anju returning with the mercenaries. Slender, bespectacled Shad clutched an oversized parcel to his chest struggling to peer over the top, his airy red hair falling into his eyes. Telma chuckled to herself, thinking he looked like a waddling potato with two plaid-stockinged sticks for legs. Apparently Anju was doing his best to keep a straight face as well, his own burdens hefted effortlessly over both shoulders.

Yes. When they found Link and Colin there would be some stories to tell.

'If_ you find them.'_

Telma narrowed her eyes and tossed her head back, earrings swinging obstinately against her neck.

Not if.

When.

* * *

Warily, Colin approached the table.

This was not Link. The young, blonde man chained to the table and tortured beyond his strength was not his idol. The screams were not those of the hero who had saved him over and over and over again. This- person couldn't be Link.

There was a mask over the victim's face- a hideous, veined mask of black threads and webbing. Sweat trickled in rivulets from underneath it, running down past the man's delicate, pointed ear, wetting his silver hoop earring, down his neck to drip on the table's white pine. Pine that was stained crimson near his mangled wrists…

"Link?"

Colin had to know.

Painfully, the figure turned his head. The glaring white and red eyes of the mask were not completely solid. There were holes in the red centers through which the reflection of torchlight flickered within his eyes. He didn't speak.

The silence within the cave deafened Colin. So many questions fought together in the whirlpool of his brain, tangling with denial, fear, desperation and logic. He couldn't think past the noise of silence.

"What do they want from you?" He finally ventured to ask the only question his brain could wrap itself around. Why? What could they want that would be so important that Link would rather be…like this…than give it to them?

The presence of the guard was like an annoying, stifling shroud. Clearly Link wouldn't say anything to him while the guard was here, watching, listening.

"They want something I don't have."

Colin almost jumped when Link's hoarse voice broke the silence.

"But…" Colin struggled to string his words into a coherent sentence. "They must think you know where it is, then. Why don't you tell them?"

Link sighed, a heavy, weary sigh.

"Honestly, Colin, I don't know."

He clenched and unclenched his fists within their restraints, recovering. But rather than Colin's questions being answered, more mysteries seemed to surface within the situation.

"But what is it?" He entreated. "Why are they doing this to you?"

Link paused a while before answering. He raised his eyes towards the ceiling and spoke into the cave.

"They call it the 'Rod of the Heavens,' or the 'Dominion Rod.' I guess it's some sort of magical tool they want to bring life as we know it to an end."

"Why do you think they want to do bad things with it?"

Link stared at Colin incredulously. Even though he couldn't see Link's expression underneath the mask, he blushed from the obvious answer to the question.

"I guess they wouldn't be hurting you if they were the good guys," he mumbled.

Silence again, but Colin was beginning to understand. Slowly a resolve began to grow within him- a painful realization that maybe the world was bigger than the room around him. It was the first time he'd ever really thought something like that, and the knowledge shamed him.

"Link," he said in awe, "you really are a hero."

Link laughed. But it wasn't like it used to be- carefree and simple, full of the joy of the moment. This laugh was bitter and knowing, a brief smirk of fully aware doubt.

"That's the second time someone's said that," he observed frankly. "But whether I am or not doesn't get you out of this." He sighed again. "I'm sorry, Colin. I shouldn't have given up. If only I kept fighting. I could have saved you and we would've been…" he cut himself off.

"How long has it been?" He suddenly asked. Colin was relieved he could finally be of some help.

"Three days, I think," he answered doubtfully.

"Are they feeding you?"

"Yes."

"Where are you staying?"

"They lock me in a cell down the tunnel from this room."

Colin couldn't contain his curiosity anymore. He dreaded knowing the answer, but he had to ask.

"What's the mask for?"

Link stiffened.

"It keeps me awake," he responded simply and dolefully.

Colin was a bit confused. But then, again, realization dawned.

"What…how long have you been wearing it?" Anger began to build within him.

"If your estimation is correct," Link replied, "then three days."

"Nights too?"

Link nodded curtly.

Boldly, Colin reached forward to rip the mask from Link's face.

"I wouldn't do that," the gruff voice of the guard behind him warned. He let the chain holding the steel ball slip a few inches. Colin gasped and jumped backwards. Link didn't even flinch.

"It's no use," he said hopelessly. "It's bound with magic."

Footsteps echoed down the corridor beyond the door. Keys jingled in the lock and the door opened. Another guard, this one with a ring of keys dangling from his belt, shuffled into the room and shut the door behind him.

Colin stepped back as the new guard spoke lowly into the ear of the guard in the chair, who nodded and stood, still grasping the chain.

"Go stand by the wall," the guard with the keys commanded Colin. He obeyed, wide-eyed and wondering what they were going to do next.

The guard who had spoken went to the table Link lay on and began unlocking the shackles around Link's ankles. Once his legs were free, the guard released one of his wrists.

"We're moving you," he said shortly. "Get up."

Stiffly, Link raised himself to a sitting position and swung his legs over the side of the table. Carefully the guard with the chain eased the ball down until it came to rest on the table where Link's legs had been. Once freed of his responsibility, he came to assist his comrade, twisting Link's arm behind his back to prevent him from escaping while the other guard released his left wrist.

"Stand," he ordered, pushing Link off the table onto unsteady feet. He swayed a bit, dizzy, and was led between the guards towards Colin and a pair of manacles lying loose on the ground, their chain bolted to the wall.

Within seconds the task was completed and Link sat leaning against the wall, wrists chained once again. The guards took Colin by the shoulders and ushered him from Link's side.

"It's okay," Colin tried to call out cheerfully as they took him from the room.

"Yeah," Link responded, but as the door closed, Colin glanced back through the crack and glimpsed Link drop his chin limply to his chest in weariness and despair.

* * *

TBC

NOTE: The next chapter (and beyond) will contain some references to a story written by another author on this site, **Twilight Scribe**, story: **_Esox Hylius_**. I highly recommend reading the short fic like, now, so when I mention it you'll be in the know. And, it's a great story for Twilight Princess fans. Short, too. Four well-written, engaging chapters. So good, in fact, that I just knew it was something Link would have done. Has to do with fishing. We'll leave it at that. ;-)

(referenced with permission from author)


	23. Chapter 23

**The Quest of Colin**

Note: Please excuse the delay in posting. I haven't been feeling well this past week, due to an onslaught of geo-stigma. Or maybe Link's symptoms are starting to leak into reality…anyways, enjoy! FS

**Chapter 23**

* * *

"Your highness, Prince Ralis!"

From the deep sapphire pool in the heart of Zora's domain, a young Zora scout leapt gracefully out of the water, flipped once and landed on the lowest step of the wide, ancient stairs ascending to the royal throne. Quickly he dropped to one knee and bowed his head in reverence to his ruler, fins glistening wetly in the warm glow of a golden sunset illuminating the throne room. It was in this palace of clean, crystal blues and greens that the mighty Zora river sprung from the earth, and it was here that generations of Zora rulers had governed their aquatic race.

The young scout removed his coral helmet and ventured a peek up the stairs to their soon-to-be-crowned ruler, Prince Ralis. Although young still and small in stature, the Prince carried an air of authority and decisiveness, of courage that reverberated throughout his kingdom. Already murmurs were that he would be a great king, perhaps legendary.

"I bring news from the escort requested by the Hero."

"Oh?" The Prince leaned forward from his throne in surprise. "News? Has there been a change of plans?"

The young Zora had been trying to find the best way to phrase his message ever since he'd been sent to deliver it, but there really was no way to make it pleasant.

"I was sent with the escort four days ago when the Hero's request was received, Your Highness. There were six of us in the party sent to meet the Hero and his companion. We followed the trail down the falls, the same one the Hero said they'd be traveling, yet there was no sign of them."

"Really?" The Prince narrowed his eyes, not in anger, but in thought. "You found nothing?"

The scout stood at a nod from one of the guards stationed around the throne.

"Actually, we did find something," he said carefully. "About two-thirds of the way down, off the trail in the pine forest, we found two horses provisioned and saddled. The surrounding area bore signs of a fight."

The Prince's eyes narrowed tighter.

"I see. Was one of the horses a chestnut with a white mane and tail?"

"Yes, your Highness," the scout replied in surprise. Prince Ralis nodded.

"Her name is Epona," he said. "She's the Hero's mare." He paused briefly. "Did you find anything else?"

The scout swallowed nervously.

"Blood, sire. Moblin and human, a few days old by the look of it."

Prince Ralis slid easily from his throne. Although some might have found his stature compared to the size of the throne comical, his bearing bespoke dignity and confidence. As he made his way down the shallow stairs, the determination radiating from his demeanor gave courage to the young scout.

"They acted wisely to send you back to me," he said evenly. "Return to your unit."

The Prince addressed the Captain of the Guard.

"Ready two companies of our best soldiers," he ordered. "Have them ready to move out by morning. Also summon the Trackers. I sense foul play here. Whoever has apprehended the Hero and his companion will find themselves at the mercy of the Zoras."

"Sire," the Captain ventured, "shouldn't we bring more soldiers? Couldn't whatever ambushed the Hero easily overwhelm…"

"We don't know what happened, Captain," the Prince reminded him. "But if numbers concern you, take three companies. I leave it up to your discretion."

The Captain bowed and dove effortlessly into the water, vanishing over the falls with the young scout. Prince Ralis remained standing for a moment, staring into the flickering flame of the torch on the bottom step with the river's headwaters lapping playfully at the tips of his fins.

He was worried, but he couldn't let them see that: a ruler never showed fear before his subjects. But the report had shaken him. Link, ambushed?

'_It might not have been an ambush.'_

'_But the horses…Link would never leave them alone, especially if he'd been fighting.'_

Ralis crossed his arms and frowned.

If anything had happened to Link…

"It's time to repay my debt," he whispered softly to himself.

* * *

Sitting in the darkness of his cell, Colin remembered.

"_Link, are you sick?"_

"_I'm sorry Colin, it's just different being back home, that's all. I'm not entirely all together yet."_

It hadn't been good enough.

"_No one told me how to do things. I had to figure it out all alone."_

Spurred on by Link's own advice, Colin had backtracked. The day they'd finally gotten Link to come out of his house and he'd dismissed Colin's help, he'd gone back to investigate.

He'd been worried. He'd never seen Link so…empty before. It was like the vibrant spark of life that had always been shining from his eyes was just, gone. So Colin had sneaked off to search for clues.

He found nothing.

When he'd tip toed cautiously into Link's house, all he'd found was a pile of really awesome weapons on the floor on a brief hiatus from being cleaned. Everything else had been the same- dirty dishes, books lying about- nothing out of the ordinary. He'd been extremely disappointed.

Until now.

For some reason, the seemingly insignificant venture was flaring to life in his memory. And with it, one particular item he'd only noticed because of a strange yellow-green glow peeking through the cloth wrapped around it. His curiosity had been overwhelming.

"The Rod of the Heavens," Colin whispered quietly in awe, hoping the damp walls of his cell weren't listening. So Link _had_ had it.

Colin remembered holding his breath in fear of being caught as he unwrapped the long, lightweight wand. He'd expected it to be heavier for its size when he picked it up- it was almost three feet long and metallic. It had been beautiful. Elegant craftsmanship such as he'd never seen before, cool to the touch, but it was the glowing sphere of light suspended between the rod's four extensions that had drawn him like a moth to a flame. What was it? What was it for? He'd put it away, hoping Link would explain it to him later, and after the past few weeks' excitement had forgotten all about it.

Until now.

'_What am I going to do?'_ he worried. Suddenly realization struck him like blow to the gut.

Link had lied.

He'd said he didn't even know what it was. He'd told him that, not an hour ago, right to his face.

'_Silly,'_ his logic chastised, _'he couldn't tell you with the guard in there!'_

But he'd lied to him. Colin's hero had flat-out lied to him, intentionally.

'_But you don't even know if the glowy stick in his house was the Rod.'_

What else could it have been? It had been hidden, wrapped up and buried beneath his other weapons. It was _with _his weapons- all the treasures he'd collected on the quest. Where else could he have gotten it, to put it with his weapons? It had to be the Rod.

Colin hugged his arms into his chest and squeezed his blue eyes tight against the hurt.

'_He lied to me. He lied.'_

One lone tear trickled soundlessly down his cheek and fell into the dirty brown cotton of his tunic. It was okay. Link had to do it. He hadn't meant to hurt him.

"I forgive you," he whispered to the walls- not only to the four surrounding him, keeping him captive, but to the walls around Link's heart.

* * *

He'd lied.

'_Poor Colin,'_ Link thought regretfully.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, staring blankly through the mask at his feet. The back of his neck ached, his head throbbed and it seemed like he'd been fighting through a temple for days and days without rest.

Sleep.

If only he could sleep.

It was so hard. There was no relief. Everything in him was shouting, aching, wondering why on earth it wouldn't be allowed to sleep, to refresh and heal itself.

Link hated the mask. More than he'd hated the usurper King Zant when Ilia hadn't remembered him after all he'd been through, all he'd suffered to see her free. He hated it more than when Ganondorf had reared up on the horizon and crushed Midna's mask into dust within his fist. And Link didn't hate.

Sure, he got angry. He got frustrated and fed up and furious with things, but he had never truly loathed anything or anyone before.

'_I guess there's a first time for everything,'_ he mused darkly.

If this wasn't 'hate' swelling and churning like the lava pits of Death Mountain within his belly, then he didn't know what was. This crimson, seething emotion boiling deep inside, grasping at any chance to erupt and spit at anyone in his path was definitely hate.

His leg twitched. Link sighed in exasperation. So now he was twitching. It figured. He gazed down at his mangled wrists and was suddenly hit with the urge to start licking them.

'_For the love of Nayru! You're not a wolf anymore, Link.'_

"Great, now I'm talking to myself," he mumbled, and twitched again. He remembered staring at his reflection in a pool of water, mourning the loss of his humanity but marveling at how blue his eyes were against the gray fur of his narrow wolf-face.

He sighed. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. This was going to be a long night.

Nial.

Link narrowed his eyes, not caring if the raging monster inside of him began to lock its target on a particular face. He wanted it to. Morbid thoughts began to emerge from the cauldron, things he'd seen and done but never to another human.

Carnal thoughts, savage impulses of blood lust began resurfacing within his memories. He recalled the satisfying flavor of hot flesh between his teeth and the death screams of his prey as he…

"No!"

Link buried his head in his arms in shame. No. It was past. It was over. He was human now. He'd never done those things, could never have done those things. Not as a wolf, not as the 'Hero.'

'_But you did.'_

Nial.

'_It's his fault this is happening. He's making me remember. He's doing this to me.'_

The wolf in the puddle of water growled as its eyes flashed from blue to red.

* * *

TBC

Hey peoples! Thanks for reviewing. And if you haven't been able to drop me a line yet, now's a good time! Free kittens to all my first-time reviewers! (providing my poor, almost un-pregnant mutant dwarf kitty has more than one. we'll find out soon!) Cheers.


	24. Chapter 24

**The Quest of Colin**

Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Here's your reward- the longest chapter yet! Enjoy.

**Chapter 24**

* * *

Four days.

Five days.

Six days.

Link was almost sure it had been six days that they'd held him captive. Of course, there was really no way to know for sure in the dark timelessness of his prison. It was maddening. Denied sleep, he suffered through every second, every minute, every hour until time began to bleed and twist together into one interminable cord of tortured eternity.

But was he even sure he'd been here six days? It seemed so important to know, almost an obsession. There was nothing else to think about besides the overwhelming instinct to slip into blessed oblivion.

Why was he here? He found himself forgetting things. Memories of Ilia and Ordon, the journey he'd been on before he'd come here. What had he been doing? Colin had been hurt- attacked somehow because Link had failed to protect him. But why had Colin been with him? The boy had no business riding in the wilderness with him. They'd been looking for something- something trivial. This is what it had come to.

_Hee hee hee!_

Link's head snapped up and he peered intently into the darkness surrounding him, senses tuned to detect the slightest noise.

"Midna!" He whispered, a wild hope suddenly flaring up within him. It was her! She was here! He'd heard her giggle, that teasing, wonderful, irritating giggle. He knew she was here, hiding in the shadows.

"Midna?" Why wasn't she coming out? He'd heard her. Her voice had echoed through the wide expanse of the cave.

He waited anxiously, not daring to breathe. She was here. She would save him- break his chains and rip that accursed mask from his face. She was his friend and she had come to save him.

"Midna…"

But there was nothing there. Only deafening silence wafted like the draft into his sensitive ears.

Defeated, he sank against the wall, slouching deeper than he'd leaned a moment before. He folded his trembling hands between his knees, trying to still their twitching.

It was impossible. She'd broken the mirror. There was no coming back and no leaving. He could no more step into the serene, indigo clouds of twilight than she could cross the barrier into his earthen world.

"_Light and shadow cannot mix,"_ Zelda had said.

But how sure was he that he wasn't in the Twilight Realm right now? Couldn't this darkness be a void in the shadow world?

_Ee hee hee hee!_

There she was again!

Link knew he'd heard her this time. The sound was too clear, too real to have been his imagination.

"Midna," he ventured into the darkness. "Midna, please come out."

Would she recognize his voice? It seemed bit hoarse and dry, but then again, she'd heard him a lot worse, especially after the fumes and ash of the volcanic Goron Mines. Afterward, she'd teased him about his "bullfrog croak" for a week.

Desperate, he tried again.

"Midna!"

Suddenly, with a crash and brilliant flare of light, the door to his cell burst open. Brightness pierced his sensitive eyes, but, flooded with joy he pushed through the pain and squinted into the source. What was this? Yes, Midna's shape had been changed before but she'd never looked like a young boy…

"Colin?"

"Link!"

Link? Why was Colin calling him Link? Oh yes, that was his name. Wait, why had he just forgotten his name? The door was shut with a forceful slam, leaving the two of them in the room alone.

Now that his vision was adjusting, he realized the brilliant light that had flooded his cell a moment ago was merely a small torch left flickering on the wall. Colin was carrying something as he walked carefully towards him, but it was hard to distinguish exactly what. Everything seemed blurry. Curse Nial for doing this to him.

Colin knelt next to him.

"They let me bring this to you," he said, offering Link a cup of water. Instantly voraciously thirsty, Link took the cup in his shaking hands, tilted his head back and attempted to pour the water through the holes in the mask into his mouth. Most of the precious liquid splashed off onto his shirt, but he caught just enough to awaken his thirst and goad it into a wild, consuming beast. He realized he hadn't been given any water since yesterday morning. Who knew how long it had been since he'd touched food.

"That's it?" He didn't really expect an answer, but sighed nonetheless as he let the empty cup roll out of his fingers onto the floor.

"I'm sorry," Colin apologized.

"Don't be," Link said quickly. "It's their fault."

He glanced down at his wet shirt. If only the mask wasn't in the way, he could suck the moisture from the fabric.

"Link, I saw the Rod."

"What?" Thirst and sleep were forgotten for a moment as his mind whirled around what Colin had said.

"I saw it in your house when all your weapons were out," the boy explained. "It's a long metal rod with a glowing ball at the end, right?"

Link simply stared at him.

"Don't talk about it," he suddenly whispered forcefully. "Don't mention it again."

Colin dropped his gaze in embarrassment, ashamed that he had risked their captors discovering Link's secret.

"Hey," Link tried to encourage, "you didn't know. Just don't talk about it. They could be listening."

What would happen now that Colin knew? Link could have played this game until the end, pretending to be ignorant until they tortured the life out of him. But if Colin were to admit under pressure that Link did, in fact, have the Rod, wouldn't they hurt him too? Colin was just a boy. He would give in. The enemy might pick up the trail.

"You have to escape."

"What?" Now it was Colin's turn to be shocked. "But there's no way out. Where would I go? How would I get out? What if they caught me?"

"I don't know," Link admitted, "but you have to escape somehow." He wracked his pounding brain for clues, anything that might reveal a weakness in the enemy's guard.

"But what about you?" Colin sat back on his heels, wringing his hands. "I can't leave without you."

"Yes you can," Link argued strongly. "You have to."

"But…"

"Colin, you don't know what the Rod can do. If they hurt you and you tell them what you know, they will probably kill both of us and a lot more people."

The scare tactic seemed to work. Link wished he could read the expression on Colin's face.

And then, far back in a corner of the cave, a light caught his eye.

"Look," he pointed.

Colin turned and gasped. All Link could see was a white blur hovering a foot off the ground.

"What's that?" Colin wondered aloud.

"Go see."

The blonde-haired boy stood and crept carefully towards the hovering light. As he approached it, he bent closer, leaning forward to investigate. Link heard him draw in his breath sharply.

"It looks like a flying egg," he puzzled.

Suddenly the light dipped and vanished.

"Link, there's a hole in the wall! It's a tunnel!"

"What?"

"The light just flew into the tunnel," Colin explained excitedly. "Maybe it wants to help us find a way out."

'_It can't be this easy,'_ Link mused skeptically.

"Why hasn't anyone seen it before?" he asked.

Colin shrugged.

"Maybe because it's hidden behind this rock," he ventured, pointing to a small rock outcropping hiding the opening from view on the used side of the chamber.

'_Or maybe it's because it leads to a dead end.' _

'_It's the only hope we have. He has to get out of here.'_

Link swallowed, trying to steel himself.

"Colin, come here."

Colin trotted quickly to his side. Link reached down and dug around in his boot for the seeker stone. As he drew it out, Colin's eyes grew wide. The pulsating blue light shone on his dirty round face.

"This is a seeker stone," he explained to the young boy. "It's one of a pair that shine when they are apart from each other. The closer they get to each other, the faster they blink. I gave another one to Telma in case something should happen. If you follow the pulsing of the stone, it will lead you to her."

"But," Colin protested, "aren't you coming?"

Link raised his shackles and gave them a mournful shake.

"I can't. But Colin, they don't need you, so if you escape they might not follow. It's me they want."

"But I can't leave you here!"

"You have to."

Link pressed the stone into Colin's cold, sweaty palm.

"You can do it," he urged, his voice rising with emotion. "But you have to go now."

Suddenly, for the second time that day the door crashed open.

"I knew if I left you two alone long enough you'd tell me what I wanted to hear."

Beaming triumphantly, Nial strode confidently into the room, arms clasped behind his back. He locked the door behind him, strode up towards the pair and stood over them victoriously, grinning evilly. His black clothing and thin black hair silhouetted his figure against the torchlight, casting a looming shadow over his captives like a vulture gloating over its gruesome meal.

"So Link, you do have the Rod." He shook his head in mock scolding. "You should have told me where it was in the beginning. Then your little friend here wouldn't have to get hurt."

Strengthened by fury, Link leapt to his feet and strained at the chains around his wrists.

"If you so much as touch him…" he began.

"What?"

Nial grasped Colin's hair and hauled him to his feet. He restrained him tight against his torso and the knife he'd stabbed Link with six days ago appeared in his hand. Colin reached, grimacing, for Nial's wrist to relieve the pain caused by the man's grip on his hair.

"Where should I start first?" He asked wickedly, blue eyes almost black in the torchlight. He danced the blade across the fragile white skin of Colin's hairline. "He has such nice, golden head of hair, your little friend. I think his scalp would make a fine trophy on the wall."

"Link…" Colin whimpered, pleading with his eyes.

Link could hardly believe Nial's cruelty. The raging beast of hatred thundered, roaring to the surface. Blind to the pain and fatigue of his body, he struggled against the chains binding him to the wall.

"Get your hands off him!" he growled.

"Sorry Link," Nial apologized, "but you brought this on yourself."

Colin cringed and squeezed his eyes shut.

And then, an instant before Nial drew the knife across his forehead, the light was back. It zipped across the room from the tunnel and sliced through Link's chains. Freed, Link threw himself forward with a roar of rage. He shoved Colin out of the way with his body and drove himself full-force into Nial, grabbing for the knife. The momentum of his unexpected assault carried them both to the hard dirt floor. They rolled once and began to wrestle for control of the knife. With surprise on his side, Link initially had the upper advantage, and was posed on top of him pressing the knife towards his throat, when with his free hand Nial grabbed the severed chain hanging from Link's wrist and yanked.

His locked wrist twisted by the jerk, Nial used the split second of opportunity to push Link's arm away, grab his wrist, stand, and with a strange maneuver flip him completely over onto his back. Link landed hard and instantly Nial was sitting on him, straddling his torso and pummeling him in the face with his fist. Locked in place, Link began to feel the initial adrenaline wearing off. The days and nights of sleeplessness, the hunger, and fatigue weakened him. But he wasn't beat yet.

Link flicked the chain dangling from his left wrist up and over Nial's neck, caught the other end with his right hand and jerked with all his strength. His enemy buckled down towards him enough for Link to flip the chain once more around his neck, creating a noose. And then he pulled.

As Nial instinctively reached up to grab the chain cutting off his breathing, Link used the moment of distraction to heave his opponent off him and slam him into the floor. With the new advantage, he jammed his knee into Nial's back and tightened the chain around his neck, wrenching the life out of him with fury blazing from his eyes. The young man grasped at the chain and struggled beneath him, but Link was merciless. He only pulled tighter.

"Link, stop!" Colin's cry echoed through the chamber. "You'll kill him!"

'_What am I doing?'_

"Stop it!"

Link snapped his gaze towards Colin. The boy was standing a few feet away, blood trickling from a cut across his forehead. His face was pleading.

'_You're not a killer.'_

Link released his death grip on the chain. Nial choked and coughed, gasping for air.

It would be so easy. He could just pull a little bit more, or a forceful twist just so, and Nial would be gone forever. He would be free.

Link grabbed a fistful of Nial's hair, turned his head and smashed his fist into the side of the young man's head. He collapsed into the earth, unconscious.

Breathing hard and suddenly very weak, Link stood and climbed over the body. Guards shouting through the door indicated that they didn't have much time. He took Colin by the shoulders and examined the cut quickly. It wasn't deep.

"Now you have to go, Colin," he said firmly.

The glowing orb was back, flitting to and fro across the entrance to the tunnel. Tears began to course down Colin's face.

"But I can't leave you! They'll kill you now!"

Link took Colin firmly by the arm and led him to the tunnel in the cave wall. He coughed.

"You have the stone. You can find Telma."

"But…"

"Go, Colin!"

The boy was torn. Terror and despair fought through the tears on his face. He sobbed once.

"I can't leave you!"

The guards were pounding on the door now, shouting for Nial to let them in.

Link turned around and walked back to his chains. He coughed again, tasting blood.

"Go!"

Colin bent down to all fours and stuck his head into the tunnel. He glanced back at Link, his hero, sacrificing himself so Colin could go free.

"Go now! Forget me!" Link pleaded, voice scratched, desperate and broken.

"I'll be back," Colin promised, and he crawled forward into the tunnel.

A minute later when the guards broke through the door, they found a groaning Nial holding his bloody head, glaring at Link with vengeance dripping like venom from his eyes.

* * *

To be continued!


	25. Chapter 25

**The Quest of Colin**

Thank you, reviewers!

**Chapter 25**

* * *

Colin crawled through the darkness of the tunnel, scraping along on his hands and knees, following the glowing orb of light. The scent of dry, musty earth filled his nostrils along with the dust of his passing, and the only sound was his own frightened breathing as he shuffled through the claustrophobic space. Above and around him millions of tons of rock and dirt seemed to hover, waiting to crush and smother his bones beneath their massive weight.

He realized now why their captors hadn't bothered to block the entrance to the tunnel.

It was a maze.

Twisting and bending, branching and threading through the rock, the many underground passageways spelled starvation and death for the unfortunate adventurer. All routes were the same. There was no turning around, nor any means to remember from which way one had come if they bumped into a dead end.

But Colin had a guide.

He didn't know who the glowing orb was, but it had come close to him several times, enough for him to distinguish the strange creature as a floating head- a baby's face bejeweled with pomegranate pink eyes. Miniature wings hovered on the sides of the being's temples in place of ears, and the white light radiating from the fist-sized creature seemed to emanate from its entire body.

It hadn't spoken to Colin yet, if it could speak, but Colin was sure it was leading him to the maze's end. Whatever waited for him on the other side was the question.

* * *

"Do you know where you've sent your little friend?"

Held between two guards as another stripped off his clothing, Link glared defiantly at Nial as he paced hotly in front of him.

"That tunnel leads to an underground maze. Those who go in never come out. They become lost in the darkness and starve to death, trapped and abandoned by their friends."

"You lie," Link asserted, willing himself not to kick the guard as he yanked off his boot.

"Do I?" Nial turned on one of the guards holding Link. "Crawl in there and find the kid."

The guard tensed and tightened his grip on his prisoner. Link could almost feel him pale. Nial grinned.

"I haven't lied to you yet, _Link_," he emphasized, "but you won't believe me, and look where that's gotten you."

He nodded to the guards who, after they'd stripped him down to his loose cotton leggings, forced him back on the table and again clamped the irons on his bare wrists and ankles. They hoisted the iron ball back into the air and stepped back, waiting.

Link's heart began to pound in his chest and surprisingly, he found himself thankful for the mask hiding his mounting panic. His enemy was seething with vengeance and this time, there was nothing to stop him.

"I warned you, Link," Nial alleged, "but you just wouldn't cooperate."

'_He's actually going to do it.' _

"And after attacking me, well, now you've really done it." He leaned in close, bringing his voice to Link's ear. Dark purple welts were forming on the skin around his neck. "I just want you to know you've brought this on yourself."

And they dropped the chain.

* * *

Colin had become so accustomed to the stifling underground silence that when the scream hit him, pushing and exploding through the tunnels like an expanding ball of flame, he jumped and smacked his head against the tunnel's ceiling.

The scream reverberated through his ears and bounced around inside his brain, stinging like an angry hive of bees trapped in his head.

It couldn't have been Link.

He was sure. That piercing wail of agony was too inhuman to be Colin's hero. Nevertheless, he choked back a sob and froze, torn between going back and continuing forward.

The shining creature seemed to beckon him onward with more urgency, as though it had heard the scream and knew they didn't have much time.

'_It couldn't have been Link,'_ Colin tried to reassure himself.

'_But if it was, then he was probably being punished for helping me escape. It's all my fault…'_

'_He told me to go. He knew what was going to happen.'_

A whimper escaped his lips. Pushing against the resistance of his young heart, Colin dragged himself forward. As much as he wanted to believe Link was all right, he knew deep down inside that their enemy had just done something horrible to him.

'_He needs me.'_

He grasped the stone buried deep within his pocket. Did Nial know about it? How much had he heard? But there was nothing to be done besides keep moving through the darkness. Link was depending on him now.

Colin crawled forward, following the creature through the endless maze, determined now to save his hero.

* * *

Deep into the northern wilderness the stone led Telma and her group of adventurers. They'd journeyed hastily, stopping only for the necessities of rest and sustenance, and had been rewarded for their speed. The seeker stone was blinking more rapidly, guiding and pulling them forward with an uncanny urgency.

As they climbed through the pines, weaving around granite boulders placidly sown between steady trickling brooks, they couldn't help but feel pressed upon by some outside sense of dread. Ever more the awareness was growing, encouraging them to hurry: time was running out.

* * *

Link was breaking.

He could feel himself teetering on the edge of a bottomless chasm, peering down into the darkness where horror and absolute despair would strangle and soak their fingers into his heart and mind, where he would be lost and desolate forever.

This knowledge, and the promise of total surrender and relief it beckoned to his haggard mind seemed ever more appealing.

He was tired. Oh, so tired. Weary of enduring, of persevering through the pain and blood and tears. What was he fighting for? They always got what they wanted. Why wouldn't he just let go? Who did he think he was?

There didn't exist a part of his body that didn't ache and tremble with the uncontrollable effects of extreme fatigue. And his legs…he'd never experienced such pain before.

They'd crushed them. They'd actually dropped the ball onto his shins and crushed his legs. For some reason it didn't seem real, what they had done.

He tried to forget it. Shock waves of electric agony pulsed through his nerves from brain to injury, back and forth, countless reminders every second- his stupid body trying to alert a brain ignoring the messengers of intense physical distress. He knew his bones were broken. He'd felt them snap under the impact of the ball, heard the brittle pop before his world had become…no. He wouldn't think of that.

But there was nothing to do besides think. Think and suffer. But he wasn't entirely sure everything he was seeing, hearing, feeling was real. What was real anymore?

Voices.

Whispers and fragments of speech seemed to tug and grasp for his attention. They spoke of the past- memories brought vividly to life. Midna's teasing giggle echoed throughout the cave, taunting him.

Figures.

Faces would materialize in the darkness- those he had once called friends. And Zelda. Princess Zelda would stand over him, tears in her violet eyes, shaking her head in pity before turning away. Once he even thought he saw Mrs. Cluck, the Ooccoo, fluttering overhead before disappearing into the nothingness of his cell.

He knew he was loosing his mind, but somehow it didn't matter anymore.

'_Just give them what they want, and it'll all be over.'_

'_I can't.'_

'_Why can't you? Why resist? If you tell them, they'll take off the mask. They'll let you sleep.'_

Sleep.

There was nothing he desired more- not an end to the pain, not release, nothing could compare to the overpowering yearning to sleep. Neither hunger nor thirst, nothing could compare to the desperate craze humming in his brain. He'd passed the point of exhaustion a long time ago. Endurance had vanished over the horizon soon after. Nothing was keeping him awake except sheer force- the mask's magic.

"Link."

He didn't turn his head or acknowledge the speaker. Who would it be this time? He'd disappear in a few minutes, just like the rest.

'_Please…no more. Just stop. Leave me alone.'_

Why were they coming to him? Why were these visions so clear, so real? Irritation flared hot within him, promptly drowned by a wave of hopelessness.

"Just go away," he croaked to the apparition, letting his throbbing head roll to one side.

"Link."

Wait…this voice was different. It was familiar, like the others, but he hadn't heard this one in a long time. He raised his eyes, and almost gasped at what he saw.

The golden wolf sat calmly before him in his cell, radiating with his gentle golden light, and somehow the glow didn't pierce his weary eyes with pain. This was by far the most real vision yet. The wolf even cast a dark shadow behind him. Stunned, Link could only stare into the beast's red eyes and wait. But the wolf didn't leap at him and plunge them into a world of mist and shadows like so many times before. He simply stared back for a moment, then finally spoke.

"Link." It was the voice of the skeletal warrior, the sword master who had trained Link during the Quest. The rough, commanding edge he'd used in the past had softened a bit, but the authority and evenness still carried the power to move him.

Link couldn't speak. What could he say? Even if the warrior wasn't real, he felt ashamed to be stretched helpless and fragile before him. Guilt at his thoughts of surrender, of mutiny against all he'd ever fought for nearly overwhelmed him. He wished the wolf would go.

"They are breaking you, Link."

'_Tell me something I don't know,'_ he wanted to mumble, but kept his humiliation to himself. He should have been stronger than that. They shouldn't be able to break him.

"Do not be ashamed," the wolf said. "You have suffered much, and are only human. You are strong, but they will break you, as they broke me."

Suddenly, subtly the wolf began to change. He grew taller, his legs elongated, he reared and stretched, fur fading into skin and clothing until suddenly a man stood in his place. But it was no skeleton in rusted armor.

The Hero of Time took a step forward, emerging from the blur that had become Link's vision into light and clarity. The two of them were almost identical in appearance, except his cheekbones were narrower than Link's, features elongated and ethereal. He was older, perhaps in his late forties or early fifties. Lines and scars, the wounds of many battles internal and external had carved their history into the tanned, hardened skin of his face. His physique was still muscular but worn, drained of the optimism and vigor of youth, weighted and burdened by the horrors he had endured.

And his eyes. Sapphire blue, Link knew their depths had once sparkled in the sunlight like diamonds in a crystal stream, but their brilliance had shattered- smudged glass clouded in shadow. They were the eyes of one who had seen too much, carried the burden of the world twice and over again on his shoulders, yet still, fate denied him rest.

He gazed at Link evenly, sorrow and understanding softening his features.

"Your friends are coming for you," the Hero said simply, "but not fast enough."

"What?" Link finally found his voice through the awe and confusion. "They…broke you?"

The Hero nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry about the mask," he apologized. "It's my fault they found it."

He stepped closer and folded his arms across his chest, over the forest green of his tunic. His golden bangs, parted in the middle, were highlighted with sliver.

"You cannot give them the Rod," he urged. "They seek the power the Sky Beings once possessed. If they find it, if they gain control of the Heavens…everything you have done, all you have suffered will be for nothing. They will destroy everything, Link. They are meddling in affairs beyond their comprehension, and their ignorance will mean the destruction of all we have saved."

Link sighed and turned away in defeat. It had all been useless…a waste. Colin, Ilia, everybody would die. And it would be his fault.

"See?" the Hero observed, "you are breaking, my son. Despair overwhelms you, and it is their means to the end."

'_Pathetic.' _

Why had he thought he could resist them? Why was he trying to be so noble? A fresh wave of pain coursed through his body, and the Hero waited patiently until it had passed.

"As it is, I am here to help you."

'_What?'_ Surprised, Link managed to face the Hero again.

"How?" The question was merely a whisper, not daring to hope.

The Hero did not smile, but locked his gaze evenly with Link's own.

"They cannot withdraw the location of the Rod if you truly do not know where it is. So, if you are willing, I will take your memories of it. I will hold them for a while, until either you are rescued and the villains destroyed, or until they take your life."

Link was still for a moment. It was desperate and crazy, but it just might work. Yet that meant giving this phantom, whom he will wasn't sure was real, control over him, or over a part of him at least. Taking his memories…it was almost the same as stealing his mind. Who would he be without his memories? How would he hold onto sanity, without some anchor to ground him? But, on the other hand, if the vision was right, soon it wouldn't matter whether he could stay sane or not. He made his decision.

"Do it," he said quickly. "If it's the only way, do it."

The Hero nodded once. Something flashed in his eyes- was it pride?

"Not all is lost," he said, vanishing into the blackness. Slowly his image began to fade, thinning and dissolving into a golden mist.

"Be strong, my son."

The whisper floated to Link like a feather through the air, floating, curling upwards, drifting downwards and settling lightly on his ears, then it was gone.

* * *

The night is darkest before the dawn...

TBC

Note: I'm having difficulties deciding exactly what genre this story falls under. I currently have it under angst/suspense. Is that accurate? Or should it be angst/adventure, mystery...argh. Feedback on this would be appreciated. Also the title. I know it's kinda late to change the title of the story, and I've done so already, but I don't think it does justice. Any advice or thoughts are welcome!


	26. Chapter 26

**The Night is Darkest - **Previously "The Quest of Colin"

**Chapter 26**

* * *

Light.

It seemed like forever since he'd seen the blue glow of daylight, confined as he'd been to the underground darkness. Yet here it was. He'd made it.

Dirt-streaked and filthy, Colin crawled forward with renewed energy towards the outside world illuminating the leftward bend in the tunnel wall ahead of him. The flying creature who'd been his guide zipped forward and disappeared around the corner. Hope soared within him and he followed eagerly, scraped, bruised hands and knees forgotten in his impatience to escape.

Around the corner, forward, right around another and there it was: the sunlit outside world beckoning though a jagged crack in the far wall, shining like a beacon on a stormy night. A few more feet and he was through.

Colin's eyes stung from the sudden onslaught of late-afternoon sunlight as he pushed his grimy blonde head through the vegetation growing over the entrance, but he didn't care. Whether the tears in his eyes were from the light or joy, he didn't know.

Carefully Colin extricated himself from the underground opening and stretched his cramped muscles, renewed by the elation of success. He'd done it, escaped, and he'd never been so happy to see the blue sky.

The tunnel mouth had deposited him on the face of a sloping mountainside. Pine trees still dotted the landscape at this elevation, interspersed with a large shrub bearing smooth red bark and coin-sized leaves. Some of the foliage he recognized- spindly broom and wiry heather- but other than some thorny plants covering the ground, nothing else seemed to thrive in the dry, dusty environment.

As Colin surveyed his surroundings, he realized how far from civilization their captors had stolen them. Tall gray mountain peeks and stony ridges surrounded him, their roots disappearing into some distant winding valley far, far below. If he didn't watch his footing very carefully, one misstep could send him sliding and tumbling a long way down. The hill was so steep, in fact, the parched soil so loose underfoot, that Colin found himself unwilling to budge from the secure position he was fixed on.

'_Okay, just breathe,'_ he reassured himself. _'You can't stand here forever.'_

Where was his guide? The tiny creature seemed to have disappeared. Colin was disappointed.

'_But at least he showed me the way out. I should be grateful for that.'_

He needed to think.

'_Get your bearings,'_ he remembered. _'Link would tell me to find where I came from and start there.'_

Colin closed his eyes and visualized his position. The tunnel was in the mountain at his back, and he'd entered the tunnel from within the cave. Obviously the cave was underground, and he hadn't really shifted in elevation while he'd been crawling around inside. He'd neither ascended nor descended- the maze had been relatively level. So that meant the cave was behind him somewhere, buried in the mountain.

'_If the cave is in the mountain, there has to be some sort of entrance to it, which means there has to be a trail leading to the entrance,'_ Colin figured.

If he could work his way around the mountain to the entrance of the cave, he could find the trail and a safe passage down. It seemed like a good plan, as long as he wasn't recaptured by any moblins or guards watching the cave's entrance. But what other options did he have?

He could climb down the mountain to the valley and follow it until he found help, but that was dangerous and risky.

'_The stone!'_

Colin's hand flew to his pocket. He breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers touched the cool gem and he drew it out into the light. The magical blue radiance pulsing from it seemed to be blinking faster. The thought gave him courage. Telma was on the way, he just needed to be patient. If he could find the entrance of the cave, he might be able to aid in Link's rescue.

Spurred on by the urge to help Link, Colin broke himself away from the safety of his ground and began to scramble along the side of the mountain, heading west. Or at least he thought it was west. Since the sun was almost directly overhead, it was difficult to tell.

As he clambered along, his boots sank deep into the soft sand of the mountainside, but despite his initial concern, he was able to keep his footing. Often the incline was so steep he could lean his right hand against the earth for support, dislodged dirt and pebbles slithering downhill in his wake. Bushes growing in his path provided a welcome handhold; their trunks where they planted themselves into the earth proved useful steps.

Carefully he picked his way through the wilderness, laboring ever farther as the sun climbed to its full height overhead, then sunk into the afternoon. Sweat dribbled down his spine and the high elevation caused him shortness of breath, but he continued on. His throat burned with thirst from the heat and dryness, but he wouldn't stop. He couldn't.

Link needed him.

* * *

Ashei examined the seeker stone in the late afternoon sunlight, angling and tilting it different ways until the sun's glare didn't mask the stone's newest settings. Whenever the assembly began to head in a direction away from their goal, a section of the stone would glow, pointing like a compass towards the correct heading. It had been a fantastic time-saving feature, until now. The stone was aiming their path directly into the face of a very steep mountain.

She grunted in frustration and wiped perspiration from her forehead.

"It's giving me the same heading," she admitted to Auru, handing the device back to its keeper. The aged warrior nodded.

"Hmm," he mused, stroking his beard, leather brows creasing in thought as his grey-eyed gaze studied the mountain for a passable route up. After a moment of awkward silence, Shad dismounted his horse and began strapping his knapsack on his back.

"The solution seems obvious," he rationalized. "We climb the mountain."

"Shad," Ashei protested, "how are we sure that this mountain doesn't just happen to lie in our path? Couldn't we go around it?"

The young, red-haired scholar explained his theory, counting off the reasons on his slender fingers.

"One: we're too close for Link to be beyond the other side of this mountain. Consider the rapidity of the stone's signal. Two: going around the mountain would take twice as long as scaling it. At least when we're at the top we'll be able to survey the landscape. And three: we are on the side of civilization. Therefore there must be a trail leading to the summit somewhere close by."

He looked to Auru for approval. At the older man's nod, he grinned and unhooked his water skin from his saddle, slinging it across his chest to dangle at his hip.

"Sounds good to me," Telma interjected, and swung herself down from her mare. They'd left the wagon behind when they'd begun the ascent into the hills.

As the party dismounted and tethered their horses, preparing to leave the supplies under the guard of two of their accompanying mercenaries, Shad struck out on his own, following the base of the mountain.

Abruptly it grew from the earth, a colossal giant shooting towards the heavens.

"I'd say it inclines at an angle between…oh, maybe sixty-five and seventy degrees," Shad observed to himself, shading his eyes to peer towards the summit through a gap in the trees. He heard Ashei picking her way through the vegetation as she came to join him, and he closed his eyes, listening to the hollow roar of the wind as it swept through the pines with a smile of contentment.

"Aren't you supposed to be looking for a trail?"

Shad opened his eyes and shrugged towards Ashei, leaning on one foot with her arms crossed over her chest as she waited impatiently.

"I was just waiting for you," he teased. "Come on."

The pair worked their way through the forest, moving farther and farther away from their party as they examined the foot of the mountain, seeking for any sign of a trail. As the afternoon wore on and they hadn't found a single clue, their patience grew thin. When dusk was beginning to settle its gray mantle over the landscape, Ashei grabbed Shad's arm.

"Shad," she began, "I don't think there's anything to find here. We should go back."

Disappointed, Shad sighed, removed his spectacles and wiped his sweaty face with a red handkerchief. He paused a moment and raised his lean face towards the sky, searching for answers.

"I can't," he persisted. "I just know if we go one more step, we'll find something."

Ashei rolled her eyes and fingered the hilt of her gilded sword where it rested on her hip.

"You always say that," she grumbled, "and it always means more trouble for the rest of us."

"Hey," Shad countered defensively, "I didn't ask you to follow me."

He set off again, hiking purposely onwards with determined steps.

"But who else would protect you?" Ashei jogged forward, armor clinking, to catch up. "Whenever you're looking for something like this, you're so focused that a troop of moblins on boars could run you down and you'd never hear them coming."

"Well at least I _helped_ Link on his quest," he snapped, "instead of running all over Hyrule chasing snow monsters."

The blood rushed to Ashei's cheeks in fury, yet just as she opened her mouth to fire back a witty retort, her gaze caught something. Nothing in nature was straight. Trees and shrubs grew wherever they happened to sprout, animals wound their paths around and between the obstacles in their way. After days of wilderness, of haphazard undergrowth rolling past her eyes, she found a clue.

Just beyond Shad, a small tower of rocks was piled near the base of a gnarled shrub.

She shouldered past the bewildered scholar and knelt beside her find, elated.

"Look!" she exclaimed. "I found it! The trailhead!"

Shad was at her side immediately, scrutinizing the marker- a tower of five or six chunks of the surrounding granite precariously balanced on top of each other.

"It's definitely a trailhead," he agreed enthusiastically, excitement building. "Now all that remains is to find the trail."

"There."

Ashei pointed towards another marker- two rocks balanced on a boulder- about twenty yards away, heading up the mountain. Her spirits sank as she realized they would not be hiking a real trail, but climbing the mountainside. At least the slope wasn't as steep in this area, and a more rocky terrain gave surer footing than the soft sand and gravel they'd passed earlier.

While she was thinking, Shad had already climbed after the second marker.

"You found it!" he congratulated. "There's already a third."

Ashei nodded.

"Come on, let's go back and get the others," she suggested, flipping her dark braids over her shoulders.

Shad sighed longingly, but came down to join her.

"See," he grinned as they set off back the way they'd came, "I was right."

* * *

Twilight was blanketing the land, bathing the mountains in her serene golden shroud, when Colin found the cave.

Sliced from the side of the mountain, a shelf of rock jutted out into space, ending in a jagged vertical drop into the valley. It was backing this shelf, embedded in the mountainside that the cave's black, gaping mouth yawned into the growing darkness.

He'd found it by accident, it seemed.

He'd been working his way along the mountain, just as he'd been doing for hours, when the shelf of rock had appeared above him. It had seemed like a blessing, a gift from the goddesses- relief for his aching ankles and knees, so he'd climbed up to it. And there it was.

Now Colin was peering over the edge of the rock shelf, grasping at the ledge with his fingertips to keep from falling. A guard sat dozing at the cave entrance, slumped over his spear, propped up against the gray rock at his back. He was a young guard, unshaven face vulnerable and restless. The twilight shone dully bronze on his breastplate, chipped and scuffed with age. He looked tired.

Somehow, Colin wasn't afraid. Cautiously he pulled himself up onto the shelf and crouched there, waiting, watching. The guard didn't wake. Carefully Colin stood, hardly breathing.

So he'd found the cave. Now he needed to find the trail.

The darkness was deepening, making it difficult to see. Frantically Colin examined the cramped shelf with his eyes, trying to decipher shapes and landmarks. And then, the creature!

His glowing guide materialized from the shadows of dusk, hovering in a spot against the mountain in front of him and to his right. Relief poured over him, and encouraged, Colin crept forward. The guard didn't awaken as Colin slipped past him, brushing within hardly a yard of his extended foot. When he reached the glowing being's location, he realized his guide was floating over a small pile of rocks- a trailhead.

Emboldened by the favorable turn of events, Colin glanced back over his shoulder towards the guard. A skin flask rested against the rock wall next to him, fat and full. Colin dry throat scratched, and he realized how thirsty he was.

Heart pounding, he tip toed noiselessly up to the guard and ever so gently reached out and picked up the water skin. He debated for an instant whether or not to take it with him, but decided the missing item could cause an alarm. Quickly he uncorked the lip and took a long, deep drink. The water flowed welcomingly down his throat, refreshing and rejuvenating his spirit like water had never done before. When he'd drunk enough, he replaced the skin and crept away.

And with the glowing creature as his guide, Colin started down the trail.

TBC

Note: Obviously you've noticed the title change, first from "Princess Agitha and the Quest of Colin" to "The Quest of Colin" to "The Night is Darkest." Why change? My intentions and the focus of the story changed (for the better I hope), and as one reviewer so insightfully pointed out, the title didn't do justice to the story. Which is what I felt as well. (Thank you, angel-kamui!) So what do you think? Perhaps the title will become clearer as the ending develops. Hope you continue to enjoy! FS


	27. Chapter 27

**The Night is Darkest**

Thank you, reviewers!

**Chapter 27**

* * *

Night enveloped the mountains, gathering to its ebony bosom the sleepy pine trees, the heavy-eyed rabbits and squirrels, welcoming her creatures into her supple arms- arms draped in the softest velvet, lush with the deep violet of midnight. Twinkling in the heavens, her diamond eyes gazed fondly upon her slumbering subjects, while ever so slyly her slender white hand released the bats and owls to flutter entertainingly among her domain.

It was through her forest, a world inhabited by the black columns of tree trunks, stark and unyielding sentinels guarding a hollow gray world, that Colin stumbled. Numbly his feet carried his body onwards, staggering downhill in the darkness, following, always following his luminescent friend. Weary beyond thought, he persevered on impulse, letting one foot plant itself in front of the other, knees and ankles aching from the strain of marching downhill.

So he didn't see the others until he had nearly fallen on top of them.

Fear exploded in Colin's heart and he dove into the undergrowth, concealing himself beneath a prickly, dense shrub. Their voices carried occasionally to him through the symphony of crickets and insects, climbing with the party as they ascended the trail. The torches they bore cast flickering shadows about the forest, throwing him into utter darkness on second and shining in his eyes the next. They were almost upon him.

"Look!"

A female voice excitedly raised itself to address her companions.

"Look at the stone!"

'_The stone?' _

Could they mean _the_ stone? Was it shining through his pocket? Colin grasped the precious gem fiercely in his fist, determined to keep his greatest treasure safe.

"He's here! Quick, look around! He's got to be here somewhere!"

Colin drew in his breath and shrunk deeper into the bush, his heart fluttering like a trapped bird within his chest. They knew he was here! He would be caught and returned to the cave, and all he'd suffered, all he'd hoped to do would vanish.

The torches spread out into the woods, searching. Colin crouched into a ball, not daring to move. The edges of the stone pressed into his palm, slick with sweat.

"Link!"

'_Link?'_

"Link! Where are you?"

Who were they? Why were they looking for Link? If they were their captors, wouldn't they be looking for Colin?

"Link honey!"

Wait, Colin knew that voice.

'_Telma?'_

Suddenly he remembered.

"…_I gave another one to Telma in case something should happen…"_

Was it true? He had to know.

Colin uncurled himself from his fetal position and searched for the speaker, peering through the shadows and trees. Someone was coming towards him, hand outstretched, illuminated by a steady blue glow growing ever brighter as they approached. It was true!

Giddy with joy, Colin scrambled from beneath the bush.

"Look! I saw something move!" The torches sped up their pace.

Tears running down his face, Colin stood by his tiny guide and drew the seeker stone from his pocket.

"Link!"

Yes, he recognized that voice. A sob of utter exhaustion and relief burst from his throat just as the bearers of the stone came into view.

"Colin?"

The young boy ran forward into Telma's arms and wrapped himself around her waist, weeping into her bosom.

"Colin honey!" Her strong arms held his weary body against her own, rubbing his back and murmuring comforting words into his ears.

He was safe.

All the tension, all the fear and worry of the past week poured from his soul into Telma's embrace, and he wept not only for joy, but for sorrow.

"Link…" he choked between sobs.

"Shhh," Telma hushed, letting the tears run its course. "I'm here honey. Everything's going to be all right."

Shakily Colin pulled himself away, wiping his eyes, and sniffed. He opened his palm. There lay the blessed stone, shining steadily now as she brought hers to it and touched the two together. The gems pulsed once more then faded, their mission complete.

Colin smiled up at Telma through watery eyes, remembering how happy he'd been the day they'd first met- when she'd brought Ilia to Kakariko. Only then, when he'd made sure she was real, that the brown eyes sparkling with mischief and sadness were the same, did he notice her companions.

"Shad!"

"Hello old boy!"

"Mr. Auru! Ashei!"

"Hello Colin," the kind gentleman replied, and Ashei smiled.

Colin cleared his throat, preparing to deliver the news.

"It worked," he marveled first, gazing at the two stones in his palm. "Link said he'd given one to you…I'm so happy you found us."

"Where is he, child?" Telma asked anxiously. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed," Colin began, confident now that Link would be saved. "They used me to capture Link, and they've been holding us in a cave. I just escaped, but…"

His throat closed as memories resurfaced, tears again spilling down his face.

"They hurt him. Bad. I…it's my fault…I heard him scream…"

"No, no!" Telma reached for him again and pulled him close as a new wave of tears shuddered through his frame. "It's not your fault, child, don't ever think that."

"But if I hadn't escaped, they wouldn't have hurt him like that," he sobbed again.

"Look at me." Telma placed a finger beneath his chin and tilted his tear-streaked face up towards her. "It's not your fault. They're bad people. That's why they hurt him. But we're going to rescue him. Do you hear?"

"But what if we're too late?"

"Honey, if I know Link, he's a fighter. He's waiting for us, see? Now what is he going to do if we don't come?"

Colin buried his face once more into Telma's dress and sighed, releasing the rest of his fears. Strengthened, he pulled away and turned his red-eyed gaze back towards the mountain, challenging the trail he'd just descended with a dare to defeat him.

"He's up there," he said evenly. "Follow me."

"Oh, there's no need for that."

An odd, feminine voice warbled melodiously through the darkness, and suddenly, to everyone's surprise, a small chicken-like figure emerged into the circle of light. Although her lower body was feathered, winged and clawed like that of a hen, her breast and neck elongated gracefully into a human-like head, bobbing with her stride as she smiled and marched into their midst.

"Hello Colin," the Oocca greeted graciously. "I believe you've become acquainted with my son, Junior."

Colin's eyes grew wide.

"Oh! He's your son? Oh…thank you! Thank you so much, without him I'd have never made it through the maze, or found the trail…thank you!"

"You're welcome!" Junior floated up to Colin's level, smiled, and then zipped to his mother's side.

Ooccoo turned her attention to the rest of the party, seemingly missing the stunned gaping of one red-haired scholar.

"I've been to the cave," she said, "and I really do think it would be best if you got there as soon as possible. I can warp you there if you like."

Auru and Ashei glanced at each other. Shad's face suddenly lit up with inspiration.

"So _that's_ how Link did it!" he exclaimed. "I knew he had to have some kind of warping ability, to appear and disappear so fast, but I didn't know it was you! How extraordinary! How marvelous!"

Ooccoo frowned.

"Well, I did help him on occasion," she admitted, "but it wasn't too often."

"Oh!" Shad slapped his forehead. "Before I forget, I have something I must give you from Link. It's extremely important, but perhaps it can wait till later?"

She nodded with a warm smile.

"Of course."

She turned to Auru.

"Shall I warp your party?" she asked.

Their leader made sure everyone was ready.

"Please do," he replied.

Ooccoo ruffled her feathers and bounced once, warming up.

"Oh my! This will be fun!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Now, just wait here with Junior while I fly up to the top, and I'll bring you up one at a time."

In a flurry of golden feathers, she launched herself into the air, pumping hard with her wings as she climbed vertically to clear the treetops, then was gone. A couple of her feathers floated whimsically down, and Shad reached out his hand and caught one.

"A real Oocca," he marveled to himself, studying the fine, silky fibers of his newest relic.

"Um," Colin interrupted, "there was a guard when I was there. Maybe a warrior should go first?"

Ashei stepped forward, loosening her sword in its sheath.

"I'm ready," she offered.

"All right, here we go," Junior said cheerfully. She tensed, unsure of what to expect.

"Mama, here we come!"

The tiny being whirled around her, faster and faster until Ashei began to spin in place, and then she was gone, vanished in a sliver of white light and warbled clucking.

Astonished, the group stared at the spot of ground where she'd stood seconds before.

"Amazing," Shad commented breathlessly. "I'm next!"

* * *

Hardly an hour after Ooccoo warped the last member of Telma's rescue party to the cave's mouth, the first Zora scout found an abrupt end to the tracks he'd been following.

Confused, he ran back down the hill a ways to his superior officer, reported the incident, and soon a circle of high-ranking Zora warriors stood surveying the last known location of the Hero's friends. After much debate, it was decided to send a company of warriors on the trail it seemed their quarry had been following. Another company would search the surrounding mountainside for clues about their disappearance.

The Hero's friends seemed to have been hurrying, their tracks revealed. Throughout the ranks, from the lowest class foot soldier to the Captain of the Guard, the Zora soldiers hoped sincerely it was not too late.

* * *

Why was he here?

Mired in a swamp of crimson and gray, Link couldn't remember why or how or what he was supposed to have done to deserve the pain. Thinking was too difficult, unless it was about how long it had been since the next overwhelming, drowning wave of agony washed over his broken body, and how long it would be until the next.

Tightening. Clenching- fingers, no, a hat, squeezing the crown of his head. Why couldn't he rub off the green cap? It was too tight, too small.

Fever. Sweat and chills, rolling, numbing waves of fire and frigid, shivering blasts of ice.

Voices. Piercing, sharp voices like nails driving through his ears into his brain. They were asking about some stick. They were asking where it was. How was he supposed to know where their precious 'rod' was? How did they expect him to even think through the agony?

"_Your friends are coming for you."_

What friends? He had friends? What kind of person would abandon him to this hell, where there was no relief from the rivers of fire, streams of fire, billions of tiny metallic needles of flame and exploding fireballs and great cavernous chasms of endless torment?

"_Don't despair, Link."_

Despair. Was that the sweet, tempting hand reaching so comfortingly through the last threads of his sanity? Couldn't he just touch it, just once? Just stretch out one trembling finger and dip his tongue in the forbidden nectar, so promising? What could be wrong with something so beautiful?

"_Have hope."_

What was hope? There was no light in this darkness. Not for him.

The palm of desolation waited patiently- pale, long white fingers outstretched, clothed in tattered black, offering relief from holding on. Liberation from pain.

"_Don't give up."_

'_I'm not strong enough.'_

Link touched its fingertips.

And the Hero surrendered. Offered himself without regret to despair and was lost, plunging without a cry, without a sound into the abyss.

* * *

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

**The Night is Darkest**

Thank you, reviewers, for your encouraging feedback!

**Chapter 28**

* * *

They were back.

Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

"I have something new for you, Link."

So what would it be this time?

Hands. Hands grasping his head and suddenly the binding spell was released.

Could it be…yes! The mask was lifted off his face.

Free! Oh, sweet Nayru, they'd taken off the mask. Sleep, deep dreamless sleep crashed through the broken dam and flooded the valley of consciousness. He sighed happily and closed his weary eyes at last, welcoming the warm darkness of slumber.

But it did not last.

A minute was all they gave him before he was electrified back into consciousness with a screaming bolt of lightning. He cried out in pain and utter disappointment as his eyes flew open in their sockets. No! He wanted to weep in anguish. So close, so close!

"Not yet, Link. First I want you to tell me where the Rod is."

He shook his head soundlessly, eyelids dropping against the painful glare of light. A hand clenched itself in his hair and suddenly an odor washed over him, brought to his mouth and nose in a cloth. Sweet and sickly. He tried not to breathe it in, but it was too late. The drug had already been drawn into his lungs, coating his throat and tongue with the bitter taste of fungal weeds.

Watching the Hero succumb to the effects of the drug, Nial knew his master would be pleased. He'd done it, broken down the legendary 'hero' until all that was left was a mangled body in chains. Now all he had to do was extract the information. He shook his head in disgust.

"Look at you," he scoffed at his prisoner. "If you could just see yourself lying there, you'd realize how pitiable you are. One week. That's all it took to break you. Heh. So much for the all-powerful hero."

He was falling asleep again. Good. The more painful he could make this, the better. Nial nodded towards his mage, who zapped him back to wakefulness.

"Really, though, one week?" he continued. "I'd have thought it would take at least a fortnight without sleep. You're more pathetic than I thought. I guess it goes to show you can't rely on heroes to be predictable."

His prisoner's eyelids fluttered weakly and his head rolled limply to the side. Slight tremors shivered through his frame. Perfect. He was ready.

Nial thought for a moment, deciding on a different tactic. He'd been reassured the drug would work, but it wouldn't hurt to test it.

"So, young man, what's your name?" he asked, altering his voice to imitate a cheerful, friendly tone. His question seemed to take a while to register.

"Link…"

"Link? Is that all? Don't you have a family name?" Nial questioned.

The hero opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to have difficulty forming words.

"Yeah…I mean…no…no family," he slurred finally.

"No family?" he tried to sound concerned, sympathetic even. "What happened?"

"Dead." The word burst from his lips with bitterness. "They're all dead…gone…"

He was getting emotional, nerves raw from lack of sleep now melting under the influence of the drug. Good. Nial decided to keep prying, get him worked up.

"That's horrible!" he exclaimed, feigning pity. "What happened?"

He'd fallen asleep again. The mage woke him up.

"What happened to your family, Link?" he repeated, ignoring the silent groans.

"Accident…fire…" he managed thickly, "it was an…accident."

The drug was working. He was opening up, speaking of things Nial knew he'd never disclose in his right mind. Suddenly an idea came to him. Was it really necessary, though? Nial's fingers subconciously traveled to the welts around his neck, brushing the tender flesh. Anger rose inside of him. He'd sworn Link would pay for attacking him and now, when he was vulnerable and broken, arose an opportunity too delicious to pass up.

"How do you know it was an accident?" he asked, formulating his strategy.

The hero paused. His sharp brows knitted together for a second, then eased.

"They told me," he mumbled, "they said it…wasn't my fault."

"But who started the fire?"

His facial muscles were working now. Doubt was beginning to resurface, dormant and hidden beneath the years.

"They said…they said it was…"

"_Who_ started the fire, Link?" Nial tried to keep his voice calm and logical.

"No…"

"Who dropped the lamp?"

"No…it was an accident…"

"_Who?"_

"I…I did…" he whispered, and turned his face away. Nial grinned, but kept his voice even.

"What a shame," he said sadly. "A little boy drops a lamp, sets the house on fire, and his father only has time to get him out, only manages to save his worthless son before he runs back in for his wife and helpless baby daughter…"

Tears were running down Link's cheeks.

"Did they scream? Can you hear your mother's agony? What did your father think in those last seconds before he died? He blamed you. You destroyed his family. You burnt them alive…all of them, scorched them to death while you watched, safe, outside."

"No!" He was weeping now, reeling from the force of Nial's words.

"How could it _not_ be your fault?"

"I was…I was trying to help…I didn't mean to…"

"Of course you didn't mean to," Nial soothed mockingly, "but it happened. If it wasn't for you, your family would be alive and healthy. If you hadn't been born, you never would have killed them."

His fists were clenched, silent sobs quivering in his chest. He believed it.

Where had that come from? Some of the hatred faded from Nial's eyes and he almost turned away. He hadn't meant to carry it that far, but the words just seemed to come so easily. Maybe because of the Voices, so many voices accusing the same thing every moment of every day, screaming inside his head until he went mad with the poison of his guilt.

'_Suffer now what I suffer, hero,'_ he wanted to say. No. He wanted Link to feel alone- drown in his guilt, suffocate in it, believing no one in the world could share what he was suffering.

Nial's men were waiting for him. It was time to bring the conversation to an end. He locked the emotions away, pushing them back into the musty corners of his brain where they would wait, fermenting, until he was alone.

"Link," his tone pleaded after the mage, once again, had woken him up, "all this can go away. You won't have to feel anymore. No more pain, no more sadness, no more guilt. Just tell me, where is the Rod?"

Link wasn't able to speak for a few moments.

"I…I don't know," he replied wearily when at last he did speak.

No. Nial had not gone through all that, dared to open up, to be flippantly disregarded.

"You're not helping me out here," he glared. "Don't you want to be free? Just tell me where the Rod is and I'll let you go."

"No you won't," Link said knowingly. "Even if I knew what it was, told you where it is…you wouldn't let me go."

Maybe the drug was wearing off.

Nial snatched the vial of potion and rag from the assistant holding them, poured more of the liquid into the cloth and slapped it over Link's mouth and nose. He struggled weakly to pull away, but eventually his lungs drew breath involuntarily, inhaling the drug with the oxygen.

Instantly Link's chin shot skywards and his eyes rolled far into the back of his head. The trembling in his limbs increased to quivering, his hands especially shaking as they clenched and unclenched with the waves of the hallucinogen. Nial left the rag on his face a bit longer than necessary before pulling it away. Link coughed- a thick wet sound that brought black blood to his lips.

"Where is the rod?" Nial demanded, becoming desperate.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Link gasped, voice rough and cracking. "Don't you think if I did I would have…would have told you…a long time ago?"

"You know where it is," Nial spat viciously, "I heard you talking to your little friend."

"…would have…a long time…long time. I would have told you a long…long long time…" Link mumbled like a drunkard, head rolling back and forth where he lay.

Nial swore and slammed his fist on the table.

"_Long time!"_ Link cried out in pain as the vibration rattled his injured legs. "A longtime…long time ago…"

"_The Rod?"_ Nial pressed, beginning to fear he'd taken things too far but unwilling to admit so.

"Don't know…long time ago…don't…ago…know…know ago. Know ago…knowago…"

Nial struck Link hard across the face.

"Shut up, idiot," he hissed.

'_You're the idiot,'_ the Voices accused. _'You shouldn't have given him so much.'_

"He doesn't have it."

Nial spun around in surprise, saw the speaker magically materialize into the room, and dropped his eyes in shame. Immediately he stepped back, allowing his master access to their prisoner.

From the bowels of his black hood, the master's keen black eyes surveyed the incoherently mumbling hero before him. He shook his head in disgust and spoke to his understudy.

"I suppose you finally did something useful," he acknowledged. "He doesn't have it anymore, and now we know something is blocking his memories of it. So he is of no further use to us."

Suddenly from outside the room, a strangled scream echoed through the tunnels of the cave.

"I came to tell you to gather your things," the master said to Nial as he made his way to the back of the cave. Nial waited impatiently as his master leaned against one of the walls, wrapped his cloak around his figure and magically began to blend into the cave wall. His body melted into the stone, color changing and textures growing until no one would guess a man stood in his place. He spoke, three words before the disguise was complete:

"We have company."

* * *

TBC

FYI: A scene in this chapter was inspired by "The Aviator," -Leonardo DiCaprio stars as innovator and millionaire Howard Hughes, a brilliant madman. Think 'Show me the blueprints…' or 'Quarantine…Q…U…A…' Great movie.


	29. Chapter 29

**The Night is Darkest**

Note: Yes, I realize I haven't updated in a few weeks. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Blame Final Fantasy VII.

Warning- graphicness. A bit further along in the chapter there will be some graphic scenes. So if you don't like blood, well, sorry. Well, not really...

**Chapter 29**

* * *

"All right everybody, cover your ears and stand back!"

Deep within the bowels of the mountain, Auru knelt on one knee, balancing his bomb-launcher on one shoulder and anchoring himself into the earth. Making sure Ashei and the mercenaries were safe around the corner, Auru aimed his weapon at the door twenty yards down the hallway and fired.

The explosion shattered not only the barred door, but also the stillness of the underground tunnels. Sulfuric smoke rolled down the tunnel, splinters zipping past his face as dust and pebbles rained down on him from above.

They didn't waste any time. Setting his launcher aside, Auru grabbed his lance and, joined instantly by Ashei and the mercenaries, they pushed through the smoke and dust, ears ringing from the force of the blast as they rushed forward to surprise their stunned enemies.

Whatever they expected, they weren't prepared for the sight that met their eyes as they leaped through the ruined doorway, through the remaining curtain of smoke.

They'd found him. Chained to a table, legs stained black with blood, Link lay at the mercy of a dark-haired youth. The young man's eyes flashed, glinting like the torchlight reflecting from the blade he held poised at his victim's soft throat.

They froze. Tension electrified the space between the two parties, each side calculating, evaluating, searching for a weakness in their opponent before he found theirs. Slowly a well-rehearsed smile spread across the raven youth's face.

'_He shouldn't be here,'_ Auru found himself thinking, despite himself. _'He's too young to be doing evil things. He should be home working the farm, wooing the pretty lass next door, not dressing in black and torturing people…'_

The more he thought about it, the less sense it made.

'_He's not alone.'_

"So." Auru broke the silence with a single syllable.

"You first," the young man offered. "That explosion left me a little shaky. Wouldn't want my hand to slip."

Auru thought he didn't look the least bit phased. Arrogant.

"Why don't I steady it for you?" Ashei shot back, and Auru wanted to smile. The youth didn't have a retort for that one.

"I'll name my terms," he said evenly. "Leave your weapons and withdraw to the base of the mountain, and at dawn you can come back to collect your friend."

"Let me name mine," Auru replied, just as smoothly. "Back away from Link now and maybe I'll let you live."

The youth (Nial? was that what Colin said?) shook his head and sighed, pressing the knife deeper against Link's neck.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation," he said carefully, smile disappearing. And suddenly, without any warning, he raised the knife and plunged it into Link's shoulder.

Link cried out- the first sign of life since they'd entered the cave- but anything else was lost in the ensuing explosion of activity.

An arrow flew past Nial's face and letting go of the knife, he twisted away at the last second. Ashei leaped forward, seizing the opportunity, and found her blade blocked by the youth's weapon- a familiar looking sword he'd been concealing on one of his aides. Engaged in battle, Ashei did her best to maneuver their flailing blades away from Link on the table, managing to push her opponent away to a safe enough distance.

Leaving Ashei to battle the youth, Auru and the mercenaries charged forward, swerving around the table to attack the youth's three assistants on the other side. Surprised but not unprepared, one of the mages cast a golden barrier around himself and his two companions as they huddled together, palms glowing, summoning forth an arsenal of spells.

Auru skidded to a halt and mentally braced himself for the coming onslaught, mind racing through his limited repertoire of counter-spells, trying to remember how to destroy a barrier. The mages struck, aiming their lightning magic at two of the mercenaries, who screamed and fell writhing to the ground. Auru cried out, trying to warn another of his allies, but the man struck the mages' barrier with his sword and was propelled backwards through the air as though shot from a cannon.

If only it hadn't been so long since he'd used magic! Auru grunted in frustration, mumbling a minor reflective spell underneath his breath as the mages prepared to attack again. He hoped it would take the edge off. They raised their palms, focusing their power in his direction as he stood waiting, crouched in a fighting stance.

Suddenly, though, right before it came, the barrier shattered with an ear-splitting crash, tiny golden shards of magic exploding outwards in all directions. Surprised, Auru turned to look behind him.

"Watch out!"

At the last second, Auru leapt to the side, rolling to avoid the mages' spell just as it slammed into the ground. Not wasting a single moment, he sprang to his feet and seized the opportunity to impale one of his opponents, withdraw his spear, spin and crush the skull of another. From behind him an entire company of armored Zora soldiers came pouring into the cave, overwhelming the remaining opposition and surrounding Nial and Ashei, who had just managed to disarm her opponent.

Slowly Nial raised himself to his full height, eyes flashing in anger, cheeks flushed with exertion as his breath hissed heavily between his teeth. Carefully he observed the ring of warriors surrounding him, spears aimed at his heart.

"You came all this way to save your hero?" he asked incredulously. "All of you?"

"It's over," Ashei said dangerously, brandishing her weapon. "Don't make it worse for yourself."

Auru turned from speaking with the Captain, who nodded to his men. Quickly several soldiers jumped forward and seized the youth, securing his arms behind his back and searching his clothing. Almost immediately a set of keys was procured, and Nial was forced unwillingly from the scene.

"You can have him if you want him," he called over his shoulder as they ushered him through the door, "what's left of him."

* * *

Jarred from yet another failed venture into slumber, Link was literally stabbed back into awakening by Nial's favorite knife as it plunged into his shoulder, again. This time though, he could only lay in his agony, powerless even to withdraw the blade, feeling his blood- more blood- trickle hotly from the ice cold steel implanted in his flesh. How warm it was, oozing into his armpit and down onto the table, smearing beneath his skin as it melted against the wood.

It was strange, how little details like that seemed so important. There were noises- it sounded like a fight from the metallic ringing of weapons and injured screams. What they were fighting for, though, was the question. He had the vague feeling that he had something to do with it, but really couldn't bring himself to care.

The battle stopped rather abruptly it seemed. One side must have suddenly gained the advantage. And then voices.

"Link!"

"Oh goddesses, what have they done to you?"

"Link! Come on son, wake up!"

Oh. They were calling him.

'_No!'_

They'd been calling him before. Always calling him, waking him up, demanding to know things. First came the calling, then the questioning, then the pain.

"What do we do? There's so much blood…what do we do?"

"It's okay Ashei, he's going to be okay."

Ashei? Wasn't that the name of the girl in Castle Town who wore a sword and men's clothing? What was she doing here?

'_Another trick. Another hallucination. It'll go away just like the rest.'_

But what if it wasn't a trick?

He opened his eyes.

* * *

Ashei couldn't believe what they'd done to him. Colin had warned them it wouldn't be pretty, but she couldn't have imagined it would ever be this bad. She had to fight down the bile as it threatened to erupt out of her stomach when she got close enough to see Link's legs.

Through the layers of dried blood, beneath the black bruises hovering superficially across the torn skin, white fragments of bone peeked discreetly among red mangled flesh.

Crushed, just like Colin had said they might do. Was it possible to recover from an injury like that? What if infection set in? What if the doctors had to…

No. This was Link. He would be okay.

She called his name as she unlocked the bloody restraints. There was so much blood. It was everywhere. She brushed hair from her eyes and Link's blood smeared across her face, left behind by her gloves. She pulled them off and threw them away.

"Ashei."

Auru was holding her by the shoulders. She was shaking.

"Can you create a stretcher? Telma should have some material outside."

She knew it was just an excuse to let her escape.

"Yeah," she managed, and ran from the room.

* * *

Auru wished he could run away too. He was scared. And furious. And helpless.

But above all, he was a soldier. A retired commander from the Hylian army, he had seen his share of carnage.

"Link." He called the hero's name like so many others. Boys wounded on the field of battle, dying, terrified of the inevitable and screaming, whispering for their mothers.

He just needed to know Link was still there, that he could hear him, because if Link could hear him, there might be hope.

His eyes flew open.

Auru almost gasped in shock from the intensity of Link's eyes. They were almost glowing, burning blue in the darkness of the cave.

"Link!"

The eyes found him, recognized him, and faded.

Almost imperceptibly Link groaned and turned his head away.

"Link, come on son, look at me."

His hair was matted and tangled with sweat. Perspiration beaded on his upper lip. Gently Auru felt his forehead. It was hot and dry to the touch. He pressed his thumb against his cheek and watched knowingly as the white indentation took a long time to fill back in. Fever. Dehydration.

He clenched his fist and muttered curses under his breath, imagining all the horrible things waiting for whoever was responsible for this.

"Hey," he called again, cupping the boy's face within his large hand. "Come on son. Speak to me."

Lifeless.

"I'm going to withdraw the blade," Auru said to him, wishing he didn't have to cause the boy any more pain. Why Link? Of all the people this had to happen to, why did it have to be sweet, sensitive, noble Link?

At Auru's nod two Zora soldiers gripped Link's arms firmly, preparing to hold him down. Gingerly the seasoned warrior took hold of the blade and slowly began to draw it from the young man's shoulder. Link groaned but didn't fight. He was either too weak or…

No. This was Link. He would be fine.

Once the blade was removed, Auru pressed firmly against the wound, staunching the flow of blood with a thick folded cloth.

Suddenly Link's eyes flew open again, black with pain.

"He's here…" he rasped through his teeth.

Auru tried to keep himself steady.

"Who's here?" He asked, leaning forward.

"He's…" Link moaned again and his eyes closed, fading.

"Link!" Auru wanted to shake him, ask questions, make the boy stay with them just a little bit longer.

From across the room, embedded in the cavern wall, a wrinkle in the rock face curved upward into a smile.

* * *

To be continued!


	30. Chapter 30

**The Night is Darkest**

Thank you, anonymous reviewers! I couldn't reply to your reviews personally, but I do appreciate them very much!

Note: In Chapter 22 I mentioned a future reference to Twilight Scribe's story _**Esox Hylius**_. So here it is finally, in Chapter 30. If you haven't read it, you should. It's not necessary to understand this chapter, but it's a great fic.

**Chapter 30**

* * *

Death came in many forms. Sometimes it alighted on the rooftop of a cottage, slipped through the window and welcomed a life into its transparent embrace. Sometimes death crashed through the doorway and kidnapped life away in an explosion of tears and heartbreak.

Everyone knew they were going to die. It was as natural as the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening. Some people feared it, others accepted it, and some longed for it so desperately that they went and found death themselves. The only consistency of death was that no matter how well one was prepared for it, it always came as a surprise.

Perhaps that was the way it was meant to work. People never really knew when they were going to die. Soldiers faced the prospect of death many times, and often they would march grimly into the jaws of overwhelming odds, certain there was no chance of survival. But if Auru had learned one thing from the battles he'd fought, is that you couldn't force death. The end would come when it came, and there was nothing you could do to prevent it. Death came for you. You couldn't summon it, wish it into happening, prove that given these circumstances death would most certainly arrive. It was picky.

Death could also be cruel. It didn't seem to care whether it squeezed or strangled, suffocated or drowned the soul out of its chosen victim. When such an end enveloped the world in shades of crimson and blood, only then was death also merciful.

The pilgrimage down the mountain would have been torturous for Link if he'd been conscious. Thankfully, he had passed out the moment they lifted him onto their makeshift stretcher. Silent and unmoving, he'd remained oblivious to his surroundings as the mixed party of Zoras and Hylians maneuvered their way down the mountain. Warping was no longer an option. No one wanted the hero to endure the crazed spinning of the Oocca's magic.

Now, two days later, time had stopped. A stone in the river, time parted and hurried on around Hena the fisher girl's hut, bypassing the tiny world with hardly a second glance. It certainly was understandable for time to avoid a scene of suffering, fever, infection. For such a universe had the girl's home become last night when the travelers knocked on her door, bearing a friend beaten nearly unrecognizable.

She'd been a great help to Auru, who, though he knew about wounds, wasn't well practiced in the finer arts of medicine. Having been the sole provider of accident care for years, Hena knew how to take care of herself and others. Her stash of herbs and tonics was impressive, yet despite her best efforts Link's condition only worsened.

He was laying in her own bed, turning the sheets damp with sweat as his body feebly fought the infection creeping from his legs. Hena had dutifully remained at Auru's side when he tried to piece together the damage, closing her mind to the knowledge of whose injuries they were and how he'd gotten them. But afterwards, when the ends of the bandages had been tied neatly off and Auru bent to collect the bowls of blood, she'd run outside and heaved her stomach into the grass.

He hadn't mentioned it yet, but she could see it in his eyes.

_Amputation._

It would kill him. Hena didn't know Link as well as she would like, but she knew he loved his freedom. To do what he wanted when he wanted, to ride all day in a single direction just for the joy of feeling the wind in his hair- she knew his freedom and independence was one thing he would not have taken away.

She could imagine the look on his face when he would wake up. He would never forgive them. Doomed to the remainder of his life as a cripple, what would he say?

But she couldn't just let him die. Hena knew the rest of his friends were feeling the same way- torn between preserving his life and saving it.

Gingerly the freckled girl lifted her cloth from its bowl of water and automatically squeezed out the excess moisture. Rhythmically she folded it in half, then half again and gently wiped the sweat from Link's face.

His features twitched, cracked lips parting slightly as his eyes rolled beneath the thin skin of his eyelids. Lost in a nightmare. What was he seeing? Had the demons he'd slain returned to torment him? Or did the faces of his captors hang over him now, gloating over the damage they'd caused?

His hands were clenched in the coverlet over his stomach, blankets pulled down to reveal his bruised, bandaged chest. In the timelessness of the moment, Hena remembered when she first met him almost six months ago. He was younger then, still faintly boyish and gripping the remaining threads of his innocence. She remembered how fiercely he'd hunted the "Terror of the Deep"- the enormous Hylian pike who'd been the dream catch of fishermen all over Hyrule.

She remembered the enormous grin on his sunburned face when he'd finally landed the monster after eleven straight days out on the water. In that moment, he'd taught her to believe anything was possible. She'd kept the fish around just for show, to brag about the endurance, the perseverance, the skill of Hyrule's greatest fisherman.

"Link," she said softly, awkwardly. "You gotta get better. I kept your pike, see? He's still in the tank."

He mumbled something incoherently in his delirium, turning his head to one side on the pillow. His hand grasped the coverlet tighter, wringing the fabric into a tight ball as he moaned in pain.

Hena's heart clenched. He couldn't go on like this.

"Link," she called softly. "Link, wake up."

No response. He probably couldn't hear her. Wasn't there anything they could do? Surely there had to be something.

"Please," she found herself begging no one in particular, "please. What do I have to do?"

Link began whispering in his sleep again, lips repeating a phrase over and over.

"Please," Hena pleaded. "Please help him."

Her eyes clouded with tears, she didn't realize what was happening until Link's almost inaudible words reached through space and touched her ears.

"The spring…the spring…"

Suddenly hope broke through the gray skies above her, tears trailing paths of gratefulness down her freckled cheeks. She whispered a silent prayer of happiness.

"Thank you."

* * *

It was consuming him.

The fire, the pain. A monster raged through his body, devouring his flesh, feasting on his feeble attempts to repulse it. He couldn't take much more. If only he could dip the tip of his tongue in a cool spring, relieve the unbearable heat and dryness, quench his insatiable thirst.

Sometimes blessed water would coat the surface of his sore throat and he would gulp ravenously for more. But then it would be gone and the agony would return. He was wasting away in the throes of the fever, and he didn't have the strength to fight forever.

* * *

Solemnly the parade crept down the trail- a procession of Zora soldiers escorting a wagon. The party was moving at a snails' pace, wary of the rocky forest around them as they guarded their precious cargo on a mission of last resort.

In the wagon, Colin and Hena kept careful watch over the fading hero, praying they would make it to the spirit's spring in Lake Hylia before it was too late.

There wasn't much time.

* * *

TBC

It's kinda short, yeah, but I've kept you guys waiting long enough. Hope you enjoyed.


	31. Chapter 31

**The Night is Darkest**

Thank you, everyone who reviewed! And for those who noted the discrepancy in Link's parent's deaths, thanks you for pointing it out. I went back and changed Chapter 1. Anyhoo, Enjoy.

**Chapter 31**

* * *

A crowd had gathered at the entrance of Lanayru's Spring. News had spread somehow, it seemed. Now, waiting silently around the mouth of the cave, spectators emerged from the shade into the intense yellow rays of a late-afternoon sun. The caravan was approaching.

Common folk and nobility, peasants and gentry had been drawn solemnly to Lake Hylia to witness a moment in history. Doubtless this would be a day to remember, when Hyrule's greatest hero lived or died.

The wagon stopped at the bottom of the trail where it turned to circle the lake, for it could go no further. The hero was lifted from the wagon on his stretcher, and two Zora warriors carried him down, across the series of small islands and interconnected bridges. The crowd parted as the procession descended to the bottom level, allowing a path for the hero and his friends to pass through.

There he was. Link, the Savior of Hyrule. A murmur rustled through the crowd. He was so pale, so still. He wasn't dead, was he? It was such a shame, after all he'd done to save the kingdom, this was his reward. More than one onlooker's heart panged with guilt.

Too quickly he was gone into the shadows of the underground spring. Soldiers stood guard at the entrance, turning away the overly curious. All they could do now was wait.

* * *

Lanayru's spring was a cathedral of silence. Patterns of light danced upon the earthen walls, reflected from the crystal surface of the water. It was a blue-turquoise sanctuary of solemn peace- a bubble of twinkling golden light amidst soft green moss beneath the surface of the world.

They laid Link on the outcropping of rock directly in front of the entrance. Since the defeat of evil, fairies had hovered around this particular point. They had scattered with the party's appearance but now returned to float lazily above the dying hero.

"Now what do we do?" Colin asked Telma anxiously as the group of friends waited in a semi-circle a few yards away. She smiled encouragingly for him and pulled the boy into her arms.

"We'll just wait and see," she said.

They didn't have to wait long. The fairies were their first clue something different was happening. The tiny sprites gathered as one into a tight ball and began to glow. Brighter and brighter, their pink light increased until suddenly in a shower of shining sparks and white magic, the figure of a young woman blossomed out of the air. Gossamer butterflies' wings shimmering with a pastel spectrum grew from her shoulder blades, fanning softly behind her. Her long blonde hair descended to the skirt at her waist, concealing the details of her perfect nakedness.

"The Great Fairy!" Shad breathed in awe.

Elegantly she landed next to Link and knelt beside him. Her long-fingered hand reached out and brushed his cheek gently. Ever so slightly, Link responded to her touch, unconsciously leaning into the comfort of her hand. She spoke, sweet voice laden with emotion.

"He has good friends," she acknowledged, gaze not leaving Link's face. "To bring him here when there is so little hope requires faith. But I cannot heal him."

"What?" Shad burst out. "Why?"

"There is a curse."

"What kind of curse?"

"It cannot be broken so long as the Spell-Caster lives," she explained, melodic voice falling softly.

"That would be me."

As one the gathering of Hylians whipped around to face the speaker.

A tall man robed in black emerged from the shadows and threw back his hood.

"You!" Auru exclaimed, fist tightening on the handle of the axe at his belt.

"Yes, it is I," the High Priest of the Goddesses smirked.

"You traitor!" Ashei seethed, drawing her sword. "How dare you do this to Link! He's only ever been gracious to you!"

"Oh yes, very generous, the Hero is," the High Priest agreed. "Do you know how much he donated to his own destruction? Hah! Every rupee slipped modestly into my collection box has paid for the new world I am about to bring to this pathetic land."

He raised a pale hand skywards, glowing with red magic. He held it there, suspended, gloating through his white beard over his paltry foes.

"Shad, I'll take the Rod now, if you're so inclined."

The red-headed scholar's eyes narrowed as his hand flew to the long wrapped object across his back.

"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request, _sir_," Shad glared.

"Are you sure?" the Priest smiled. "I'll give you a second chance. It's more than those weak guards outside were given."

"You won't have a chance to give it!" Sword raised, Ashei dove towards the magician. Instantly he hurled the ball of magic at the young swordswoman. It struck her full in the chest, hurling her into the air and out over the water. Screaming, she fell writhing into the Spring.

"Ashei!" Shad cried and dove in after her, spectacles and all.

"Impulsive young man," the Priest remarked to Auru as the warrior charged at him swinging his axe. His weapon bounced off an invisible shield erected around the Priest's body and he almost lost his grip from the force of the rebound.

Already another spell was gathering in the Priest's hand and right before Auru finished summoning a barrier, the magic crashed into him, slamming him into the cavern rooftop before hurling him back to the earth.

Telma tucked Colin behind herself and stood defiantly between the Priest and Link.

"You can have your hero," the Priest mentioned nonchalantly. "I only want the Rod. That's all I ever wanted- Dominion. Ultimate Dominion, even over Fate itself!"

Abandoning the broken heap that had been Auru, the Priest glided down to the edge of the Spring where Shad was struggling to pull an unconscious Ashei from the water.

"Shad! Look out!" Telma cried. Shad squinted through the haze of a world without glasses towards the dark blur moving towards him, but it was too late. His body froze, muscles locking painfully in absolute rigidity. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The Priest deftly cut the Rod from his back and turned away, only releasing him once he had returned to the mouth of the cave, unwrapping the Rod from its covering. Shad collapsed onto the back, trembling and panting for breath as his heart lurched to life again.

"Are these the hero's friends?" the Priest mocked, "How utterly disgusting. Why would he associate himself with such novices as you? I haven't even given you a fraction of the joys he experienced and there you all are whimpering on the floor!" He shook his head in disbelief, then shrugged. "To each his own, I suppose. Now if you will excuse me, I have a world to 'Dominate.'"

Suddenly, as the Priest turned to leave, the waters of the Spring began to boil. White light streamed from beneath the surface, illuminating the chamber with blinding brilliance and Lanayru himself exploded from the water- a giant serpent of shining light gripping a radiant sphere in his fangs.

"The great Serpent himself!" the Priest cried happily. "A perfect test for my new powers!"

He raised the Dominion Rod high above his head, clutching it tight with both hands. The customary green glow housed within the Rod began to change to red, infusing with the magician's power.

"Man!" Lanayru's strong voice echoed throughout the cavern. "Beware! Your doom is upon you."

The Priest began to laugh as the Rod grew brighter.

"You speak of yourself, Snake!"

He wrenched his arm back, Rod humming and vibrating with the power it channeled, aimed to strike, but suddenly he jerked and choked. The red light in the Rod wavered as the Priest stood gagging in shock.

"That's for Link!"

Colin wrenched his sword out of the Priest's back, eyes burning with vengeance. Blood trickled out of the Priest's mouth and the Rod fell from his hands.

"You…" he gasped and crumbled to the floor, dead.

* * *

Something changed.

In the red sea of fire he'd been drowning in, Link felt something shatter. It was the core of the earth, the seed of sickness. Relief, sweet, beautiful relief poured over him from a translucent pitcher and settled into his wounds.

A face. A young, innocent face smiled down at him and a cool hand slipped from his cheek, fingertips brushing his lips.

Healing.

He knew this feeling. It was familiar.

Cool water washed over his body. He felt himself emerge into the air, clean.

He smiled, and slept.

* * *

To be continued!


	32. Chapter 32

**The Night is Darkest**

Note: Thank you everybody who reviewed! Your words have been encouraging. :-)

**Chapter 32**

* * *

This had to be a dream. He must have died, yes, and this bliss was the afterlife. They'd said it was perfect, the realm of souls. Yes. That was where he was.

Voices.

He wasn't the only one there. Who was waiting for him? Oh yes. To see he must open his eyes.

Disappointment fell around him as he recognized the room he was laying in. No, he wasn't dead. He was very much alive and in the fisher girl's cabin. He remembered the dried bunches of summer flowers hanging upside-down on the walls, the old-fashioned fishing tackle draped decoratively between them. He was in her room lying in her bed. How had he gotten here?

Link rolled onto his side and burrowed into the blankets, staring blankly at the rest of the room as he searched his memory. His fingers tightened in the sheets, scrunching them into a wrinkled ball within his fist. He remembered. Oh yes. The mask. The torture. Nial and Colin. Colin!

He shot up in bed and swung his feet over the side. Somehow he was only clothed in short loose pants that ended at the knee. Where had he gotten those? His legs! Shocked, Link stared at his perfectly normal legs. Gone was the blood, the gore. In awe he ran a hand down his shin, feeling the bones solid beneath the flesh. Only the Great Fairy could have done something like that. Now he remembered that too, her gentle face smiling down at him. He touched his shoulder, marveling at the absence of even a scar. Yes. Only the Great Fairy could have healed him.

Link stood carefully, still cautious about his legs. They certainly supported his weight like they used to. He sighed deeply in relief and gratitude as he took a few steps. Who knew the simple ability to walk could be so satisfying?

Colin.

He'd gotten sidetracked. Now, with a horrible sinking feeling guilt washed over him. The boy was still trapped in the maze. Lost and alone beneath a mountain, sent to his death on a fool's errand. What had he done? Link's throat constricted as the implications of what he'd done settled upon him. He had to find him. Find the boy's body and bring him home.

But he was so tired, and hungry.

No. Colin was dead. He'd killed him. Young, innocent, shining Colin. Who was standing in the doorway staring at him.

"Link!"

The boy rushed forward and flung himself into Link's arms.

"You're awake!"

Shocked speechless, Link froze, Colin's arms wrapped around his bare waist. What had happened? He remembered hardly anything after being drugged. Everything had blended together into a red haze of pain and sickness, and now this.

"How…" he began, but found himself too confused to continue.

"Don't you remember?" Colin asked, prying himself away. There was something different about the boy, a new assurance. Confidence. Link shook his head.

Quickly and efficiently, Colin described in detail his escape from the cave, finding Telma, the rescue, the final battle and Link's healing by the hands of the Great Fairy. Link's head was swimming by the end, amazed and utterly astonished at the scope of the rescue.

"Why?" he asked, once Colin had finished.

"What?"

"Why did they come to rescue me?"

Colin stared at Link sitting on the bed clutching a blanket around his shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

'_You saw how hopeless it was,'_ he wanted to say. _'Why would they still want to rescue me when I was so broken?'_ But he didn't.

"Never mind," he said, and was rescued by the growling of his stomach.

"Oh!" Colin remembered. "I can bring you some food, if you like."

Link nodded and tried to smile as the boy left the room. Once he was gone, however, he curled underneath the blankets and shut his eyes. Images, words, feelings assaulted his memory. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was still in the cave, still chained to the table, and this was all a hallucination.

"_Who started the fire, Link?"_

No. It had been an accident.

"_Of course you didn't mean to, but it happened. If it wasn't for you, your family would be alive and healthy. If you hadn't been born, you never would have killed them."_

Loneliness clamped around him like a cold, hollow shell. Within that shell, guilt began to bleed from his heart, thread through the atmosphere and surround him in poisonous fluid.

And even though sunlight poured in through the window, friends had rescued him, and Colin was safe, hopelessness had shackled him, wrapped around his soul like a black chain, and still he despaired, trapped in the darkness of his prison.

* * *

He got better. Physically, he slept and ate and healed until he had regained most of his strength. He'd lost weight during his imprisonment, but at his age, it wasn't anything he couldn't gain back. All too soon, the day came when he was ready to travel, when he couldn't stand being confined to Hena's cottage anymore. So he left.

He didn't know where to go. Astride Epona, he sat at the head of the trail down to Lake Hylia, friends behind him, waiting for some idea to enter his mind. What was there left for him to do? Hyrule was saved. He didn't want to return to Ordon, not anymore. It was there he'd killed his family, there he'd met a boy and almost led him to his death.

"Link?" a voice asked, wondering at his hesitation.

He nudged Epona forward. It wouldn't help to have them start thinking something was wrong. What could be wrong? He was finally being punished for his crimes.

"_Did they scream? Can you hear your mother's agony? What did your father think in those last seconds before he died? He blamed you. You destroyed his family. You burnt them alive…all of them, scorched them to death while you watched, safe, outside."_

He shivered even though it was warm, fighting to keep his composure neutral. He hadn't slept well last night. This time the nightmares had been too vivid and he'd lain awake, staring at the wall, through the wee hours of the morning.

He'd felt them. The chains around his wrists. The mask glued to his face with sweat. The torture. The pain. It had been so real. Again he wondered if he was really here, riding Epona through the mountains. What if his nightmares weren't nightmares, but rather moments of reality and everything else was a hallucination? The doubt was gnawing at his mind, driving him insane. He had to know.

That night, awakened from another nightmare, curled on his right side wrapped tight in his bedroll with his back facing the campfire, Link couldn't stand the suspense any longer. Heart pounding with anticipation, he grasped the leather-wrapped handle of his dagger laying beside him and silently drew it from the sheath.

He slid his right forearm from beneath the blanket, twisting his hand to expose the soft white flesh on the underside of his arm to the brisk night air. He shivered, afraid of what he was about to do but desperate for reassurance. He had to know.

_Shock waves of electric agony pulsed through his nerves from brain to injury, back and forth, countless reminders every second- his stupid body trying to alert his brain to its intense physical distress. He knew his bones were broken. He'd felt them snap under the impact of the ball, heard the brittle pop before his world had become…no._

Link's throat constricted and he squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth against the memory. He tried to burrow into the warm cocoon of his bedroll, but nothing could stop the agony from replaying itself through his mind.

_Knives of pain, rivers of pain, drumbeats of pain…different colors, different tastes, different smells. Fire and ice and lightning and poison. _

"How could it not be your fault?"

Link's eyes flew open and searched the darkness. He could have sworn he heard Nial's voice, but there was no one there.

'_I really am going mad,'_ he thought.

He contemplated his arm again, bared inches from his face. He had to do it. He had to know which reality was a dream.

With his left hand, he set the sharp tip of the dagger against his exposed skin. He'd never been able to hurt himself in a dream before. But what if the hallucinations were becoming more real?

Jaw clenched, he pressed the blade into his skin. Pain flared white-hot from the wound, and red blood began to seep around the edges of the steel.

"_You burnt them alive…all of them, scorched them to death while you watched, safe, outside."_

Suddenly it wasn't about reassurance anymore.

Heart breaking anew, instead of withdrawing the blade he pulled it through his flesh, tracing a long, gaping red line down the center of his arm.

"_Did they scream? Can you hear your mother's agony?"_

"Link?!"

"_If it wasn't for you, your family would be alive and healthy. If you hadn't been born, you never would have killed them."_

"Link! Stop! What are you doing?!"

The voice faded. A warm brown hand closed over his pale clenched fist, wrapped in its death-grip around the hilt of the dagger. Gently the hand pulled the blade from his flesh.

"Link, honey, what were you thinking?"

Ashamed, Link dropped the knife, pulled his arm back underneath the blanket and shifted, pressing the weight of his body against his arm and hiding his face in the scratchy wool. For the first time in years, he wanted to cry. But grown warriors didn't cry. Heroes didn't cry.

"Don't hide, Link honey. Telma's here. You're safe now. Come here," she coaxed, trying to pull Link into an embrace. He rolled onto his other side, turning his back to her as she knelt beside him.

"It's okay, honey, you've been hurt. If you keep it all inside it'll eat you alive."

'_I know,'_ he wanted to say. She laid a hand on his shoulder and began massaging it soothingly. Her touch broke something inside him, a deep, unsatisfied longing for a mother he hadn't realized existed. He wanted so badly to fold in her embrace and cling to her, cry into her bosom until the demons were flushed out in tears, until he fell asleep from sobbing.

But he couldn't.

"_Worthless. Useless. Murderer."_

She shouldn't be touching him. No one should ever have to touch him.

Quickly he sat up. His arm ached and stung and the blood soaked through his shirt, pasting his clothing, hot and sticky, to his chest where he pressed his arm. On the edges of his downcast gaze, he could see Telma reaching for him, trying to comfort him. Tears beginning to leak down his cheeks, he pulled roughly away and stood, clutching the blanket around him with his good hand.

Leaving her arms and the warmth of the fire behind, he staggered out into the darkness to wait, alone, for the coming of dawn.

* * *

To be continued!


	33. Chapter 33

**The Night is Darkest**

*ahem* Thank you very very much for the reviews. So sorry it's been so long. I've been sucked into the World of Warcraft. I admit. Confess. This is a short chapter, but at least it's an update! Yeah...enjoy!

**Chapter 33**

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Dawn in Kakariko Village came slowly. In the slice of sky stretched across the lips of the canyon walls, first an indiscernible steel gray vaguely outlined the shadows of silent beings in the early morning world. Silent as death, the first stirrings of morning caught every soul and froze them in stone to wait, unknowing, while the earth passed on around them. In the dawn, centuries became millennia yet still, the shadowed souls remained suspended in time, gathering dust in the endlessness of the moment.

Link, perched and waiting at the top of the village's observation tower, sat watching the gray, hushed world beneath him. He was numb, and not just from the cold. He'd brought a thick wool blanket with him this time after the nightmares had woken him, again, around midnight. He didn't like being numb, but it was better than feeling. His brain buzzed dully behind his eye sockets, humming with the images and sounds- the memories- lurking cancerous in his memory. He didn't want to remember again. If he could remain like this forever, existing in the instant, detached from the pain of reality, floating emotionless, soulless in infinite space, he might be able to survive again.

But life was for the living, not the dead, and he was very much alive. Yet for the first time in his life, he wasn't so sure he wanted to be.

It was a traitorous thought, more of a feeling than cognition. He shook his head, shocked at the suddenness of it.

'_No.'_

On the horizon, beyond the jagged scarred hills, the sun was spreading brighter in the sky. Far below, the first villagers were lighting breakfast fires, drawing water from the well. It was time to return to his room. He didn't want Telma and the others to worry.

He stretched out first one stiff leg then the other from their crossed position, and stood unsteadily, gripping the wooden guardrail for support. Drawing the blanket tighter around his shoulders, he began descending the ladder. Telma had been watching him closely, especially since the incident with the knife. Often he'd heard her footstep approach his bed and pause, watching while he feigned sleep.

She needn't have worried. His little "test" had done its job, and he was very much aware since then that he was indeed alive and fully conscious. The scabbed, healing wound on his arm gave testimony to that. It was a reminder, an ever-present reminder of his failure.

He jumped the last few feet to the wooden platform below, boots thudding on the hollow planks. Mechanically he swung around to the next ladder and continued his descent.

Nial.

Link's eyes narrowed, and the cauldron of simmering emotion deep within his belly began to hiss and bubble at the thought. As he climbed down, the memory of Nial's eyes burning in pleasure as he watched Link writhe in pain on the table before him hovered mercilessly in his mind. He remembered today was the day Nial would be transported to Hyrule to await trial before the High Council. He had been held under close guard by the Zoras until further instructions arrived from the castle. Link and his party had been kept informed on the proceedings.

But Link didn't want to wait. He didn't want the details of his torture publicly described in front of a council of elders, shouted before a curious crowd of onlookers. Maybe it was his pride, maybe it was something more personal.

Justice needed to be done, but not by the law.

* * *

Auru recognized the signs. He knew, instinctively, the change present in Link's attitude this morning: the cold, impassive gaze in his eyes, the determined clench in his jaw. He knew this was coming. Every man who had been wronged felt the same way, yet while most allowed justice to carry its course, he feared Link was about to take matters into his own hands.

But could he be dissuaded? It was stupid and rash, what he saw happening before him, but deep down inside, Auru didn't want to stop him. He wanted Link to have his revenge, personally, in his own way without the restraints of political justice. But was it right?

Laws existed for a reason. If everyone were to be their own judge no one would be alive. But Link had been so brutally wronged, so unmercifully hurt. Maybe just this once, it would be okay.

Auru, sitting at the table in the Kakariko inn, clenched and unclenched his fists in indecision as he watched Link's stiff back disappear out the door. This was how wars had begun. He moaned and rubbed his eyes, then sighed. In a sick way, he almost wanted to see what Link had in mind.

"No."

This was wrong. If Auru couldn't stop him, he didn't know what might happen.

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To be continued!


	34. Chapter 34

**The Night is Darkest**

**Chapter 34**

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"Stand aside!"

Startled, the company of guards turned towards the shout behind them. The clear ring of steel vibrated through the mid-morning air as the Hero marched purposefully towards them, darkness in his eyes, sword bared. They had been preparing to load their prisoner into a barred cart for transport to Hyrule Castle, and the commander came quickly forward to meet the Hero.

"Sir," he asked, "what…" his words were cut off by the cold point of the Hero's blade held level to the commander's eyes.

"Stand aside," the Hero repeated emotionlessly, unblinking. Death was written in the hard lines of his face.

"We have orders, sir, to…"

"I know what your orders are. I have other plans."

"Are you threatening me?" the commander asked, agape. The Hero raised one eyebrow in disinterested irritation.

"No, I have you at sword point for practice," he explained sarcastically. "Now order your men to move away from the prisoner."

Hesitantly the commander took a few steps backward and to the side. His men awkwardly followed suit, opening their ring of steel to allow Link access to the smirking prisoner.

"It took you this long?" Nial sneered, shifting his weight to one foot. He tossed overgrown bangs from his eyes. "Really."

Link remained silent. He moved forward, three steps, until the tip of his sword hovered an inch from Nial's neck.

"Come for revenge? Some courage, killing an unarmed, chained, and hopelessly outnumbered enemy."

"Link!" Auru's shout echoed across the dusty town, and people began peeking curiously from their homes as the old man began running. "No Link!"

" 'No Link, don't do it Link,'" Nial mimicked, "after all, what would your mother think?"

Rage, hot crimson fury surged up from his toes to the tips of his hair, consuming all emotion in liquid fire. Ablaze, the flames of revenge clenched the hilt of his sword and melted through the steel, encasing the blade in hot white light. Shocked, Nial jerked away from the heat, fear rising suddenly in his eyes.

Slowly, Link smiled. Time was his. His foe trembled before him, the fury and power of the Beast raged through his soul. Death. He hungered for it. Blood. He thirsted for it. It had been too long since hot blood exploded between his teeth, since soft supple flesh ripped in his fangs. Too long since the satisfying crunch of bone and cartilage snapped in his jaws, sharp fragments settling on his tongue.

It was too easy. His sword passed through Nial's neck like butter, shattering his fragile spine, blood spraying in a miraculous fountain from the headless corpse as it remained standing for a split second, then melted uselessly to the dust. Carefully, Link stooped and picked up Nial's head by the hair and held it up, level with his eyes. Nial stared back at him in absolute shock, not quite dead yet.

He wanted to say something, something witty and final, but nothing smart enough came to mind. Instead, he stood there watching Nial's eyes roll back in his head and film over as the blood poured, then dripped, onto the ground, turning the dust into hot brown mud. He stared into the dead face of his enemy until he became bored, then tossed the head carelessly onto the corpse.

"You won't be needing that wagon," he mentioned over his shoulder to the guards as he walked away.

He was shaking. The Beast, bloodlust far from satiated, was not purring contentedly as he'd expected. Rather, it felt as though an endless chasm had opened before him, one needing to be filled with screams and carnage, with death and destruction. He had tasted the other side, been made wise, and he hated himself for it.

No one followed him. Splattered in his enemy's blood, Link walked alone through town, not caring where his feet would lead him. He needed to get away, escape. The blood on his drawn sword dried dark and bitter. The blood on his skin crusted over. Nial was dead. He had brought justice, avenged himself on his enemy. But why wasn't he satisfied?

_'You were wrong…'_

_'But I wanted to, I needed to.'_

_'It wasn't your place. You abused your power.'_

_'But he _hurt_ me.'_

Tears, angry tears leaked from his eyes and made smeared trails through the blood on his face. His feet were taking him up the mountain, climbing the trail to the home of the Gorons.

_'I shouldn't be feeling this way, I just got my revenge. I should be happy now, it should be over. I shouldn't feel guilty.'_

He could see Nial's sneer, hovering over him in the gathering twilight. He could imagine his enemy making some debasing comment on how weak he was to be feeling guilty over killing his enemy.

Link turned off the trail and began climbing a small outcropping, a ledge overlooking the surrounding valleys. He stood, watching the sun sink in a crimson display across the horizon, and when his legs grew tired he sat on the cold stone, staring at nothing as the moon rose and stars appeared one at a time. The heat from his body leaked into the granite beneath him, evaporated into the chill evening air. He shivered, and wrapped his arms around his drawn knees.

Someone was coming up the trail. The crunch of boots on loose gravel grew closer, then the scrape of boots on rock and grunting as someone climbed up to his perch. He didn't bother to turn. He knew who it was, the heavy breathing and creak of armor betrayed his identity.

"Link." Auru sounded relieved, and solemn. Link didn't answer. He didn't want to hear a lecture on ethics, didn't want some plea to come inside. But he didn't want Auru to go away, either. So he said nothing.

Thankfully, Auru didn't push him. He instead sat down and joined him, staring out at the night sky. Link was surprised he had come, but knew somehow this was what he had wanted all along. He didn't need advice, or tears, or false promises that everything was going to be all right. He'd made enough of those to victims, people who couldn't bear to hear anything else. No, everything was not going to be all right.

But maybe, just maybe he didn't have to be alone. He wanted to be alone, to figure things out, to make sense of it all. He didn't want to burden people with his pain. But Auru had come, and his mere presence was ever so slightly beginning to quiet the Beast.

Eventually, as the night air numbed his face and hands, Link stood. He didn't need to thank Auru. An unspoken communication passed between them. Carefully Link climbed down from the ledge, back onto the trail. He put Epona's whistle to his lips and blew, a sweet clear sound that carried in the night.

She came, faithful as always, at her master's bidding. He climbed lightly into the saddle and sat for a second, watching Auru still on the rock. The man turned his head and their eyes locked.

"If you see any," he said casually, "Colin still needs those bugs."

Link nodded once, a slight jerk of the head to indicate he understood. And then he was gone, faded into the gray shadows of the dawn.

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**The End**

Thank you to all my readers and reviewers!! 3


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